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457 series loaded · last import on 2026-10-26

Coronal mass ejections SOHO/LASCO catalogue since 1996: speeds, halos, fast CMEs

Sun · coronagraph

Billions of tonnes of plasma

The 36 CMEs of the last days of the catalogue (up to 2026-08-31), replayed as the LASCO C3 coronagraph sees them: each leaves at its position angle, with its width and a speed proportional to its measured speed. A full halo means an ejection aimed at the Earth or directly away from it.

First C2 image
—
Linear speed
—
Width · angle
—
  • < 500 km/s
  • 500–1000 km/s
  • ≥ 1000 km/s
Latest CME in the catalogue
550 km/s
2026-08-31 05:24 UTC
52°
Fastest since 1996
3,387 km/s
2004-11-10
Full halos
1,035
1996 → 2026
SOHO/LASCO CME catalogue (CDAW Data Center) · NASA, public domain; acknowledgement requested (CDAW, SOHO is an ESA/NASA project) · 10/25/26

Schematic: occulting disk ≈ 3 solar radii, field ≈ 13 solar radii. Compressed time, relative speeds kept. Positions and widths from the CDAW catalogue (SOHO/LASCO, manual measurements).

Catalogued CMEs
43,558
1996 → 2026-08-31
 
SOHO/LASCO CME catalogue (CDAW Data Center) · NASA, public domain; acknowledgement requested (CDAW, SOHO is an ESA/NASA project) · 10/25/26 Current · provisional
CMEs over 12 months
1,829
up to 2026-08-31 (end of the catalogue)
 
SOHO/LASCO CME catalogue (CDAW Data Center) · NASA, public domain; acknowledgement requested (CDAW, SOHO is an ESA/NASA project) · 10/25/26 Current · provisional
Full halos
1,035
360° width: towards the Earth or away from it
 
SOHO/LASCO CME catalogue (CDAW Data Center) · NASA, public domain; acknowledgement requested (CDAW, SOHO is an ESA/NASA project) · 10/25/26 Current · provisional
CMEs ≥ 1000 km/s
1,037
of which 416 full halos
 
SOHO/LASCO CME catalogue (CDAW Data Center) · NASA, public domain; acknowledgement requested (CDAW, SOHO is an ESA/NASA project) · 10/25/26 Current · provisional
CMEs detected per year since 1996 SOHO/LASCO CME catalogue (CDAW Data Center) · NASA, public domain; acknowledgement requested (CDAW, SOHO is an ESA/NASA project) · 10/25/26 Current · provisional
Show the data as a table
Full halos and fast CMEs per year SOHO/LASCO CME catalogue (CDAW Data Center) · NASA, public domain; acknowledgement requested (CDAW, SOHO is an ESA/NASA project) · 10/25/26 Current · provisional
Show the data as a table
The ten fastest CMEs of the catalogue
#First C2 image (UTC)Speed (km/s)Position angle (°)WidthKinetic energyRemarks
12004-11-10 01:263 387 km/sHalohalo6E32 erg—
22017-09-10 14:003 163 km/sHalohalo2E33 erg—
32005-01-15 22:062 861 km/sHalohalo7E32 erg—
42023-12-31 21:002 852 km/sHalohalo4E32 ergFixed the MVI roll angle issue on 2026-01-30
52024-02-12 05:362 792 km/sHalohalo6E32 erg—
62024-02-09 12:252 782 km/sHalohalo4E32 erg—
72022-09-05 14:362 776 km/sHalohalo1E32 ergFixed the MVI roll angle issue on 2026-01-30; Only 2 points
82012-03-06 23:242 684 km/sHalohalo5E32 erg—
92003-11-04 18:542 657 km/sHalohalo6E32 ergOnly 3 points
102013-05-13 23:252 625 km/sHalohalo2E32 erg—
CME catalogue SOHO/LASCO CME catalogue (CDAW Data Center) · NASA, public domain; acknowledgement requested (CDAW, SOHO is an ESA/NASA project) · 10/25/26
First C2 image (UTC)Position angle (°)WidthSpeed (km/s)Speed at 20 R☉MassRemarks
2024-02-24 21:008829°189—3E13 gVery Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-24 19:1226832°4023184E14 gPoor Event
2024-02-24 18:1225834°2262795E14 gPoor Event
2024-02-24 16:009398°3294059E14 gPoor Event
2024-02-24 00:2526146°963462E15 gVery Poor Event
2024-02-23 15:1227130°1972561E15 gVery Poor Event
2024-02-23 12:482340°286—4E14 gVery Poor Event
2024-02-23 09:2427645°1812856E14 gVery Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-23 09:128814°222——Very Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-23 07:1227246°2137814E14 gVery Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-22 22:1218544°1072141E14 gVery Poor Event
2024-02-22 21:368934°2044674E14 gPoor Event
2024-02-22 16:009124°164—4E14 gVery Poor Event
2024-02-22 10:0015328°608—2E14 gPoor Event
2024-02-21 23:12149233°1 0859912E15 gPartial Halo
2024-02-21 17:24263193°5825798E15 gPartial Halo
2024-02-21 16:125950°5656766E14 gPoor Event
2024-02-21 15:12149146°8438164E15 gPartial Halo
2024-02-21 14:1615020°306—6E14 gVery Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-21 07:2431418°5341 216—Poor Event
2024-02-21 01:12134188°1 0149532E15 gPartial Halo
2024-02-20 23:0030817°632——Very Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-20 21:1235874°1742821E15 gVery Poor Event
2024-02-20 13:2475105°6503901E15 g—
2024-02-20 04:367139°2366176E12 gVery Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-19 22:4819541°6255683E15 gPoor Event
2024-02-19 22:24282145°7817427E15 gPartial Halo
2024-02-19 17:3620178°1884875E14 gPoor Event; Only C2
2024-02-19 15:3623101°343—1E12 gVery Poor Event
2024-02-19 04:4820231°4877452E14 gPoor Event
2024-02-19 01:1240138°2994513E15 gPartial Halo
2024-02-18 22:1226730°842325E13 gVery Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-18 21:2428112°309505—Very Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-18 18:4820517°7411 422—Poor Event
2024-02-18 09:00Halo360° · halo1 1521 1221E16 g—
2024-02-18 02:1214069°5726653E14 g—
2024-02-17 13:48Halo360° · halo1 7441 3331E16 gNewly inserted on 2024/09/27
2024-02-17 12:36Halo360° · halo1 2341 1962E16 g—
2024-02-17 09:009034°3761 1661E14 gVery Poor Event; Only C2
2024-02-17 02:2420482°181—2E14 gPoor Event; Only C2
2024-02-16 22:127230°5676822E14 g—
2024-02-16 16:244894°5224927E14 gPoor Event
2024-02-16 06:12215180°6175481E16 gThe start time was changed on 2025/04/01.; Partial Halo
2024-02-16 02:12344128°6937028E15 gPartial Halo
2024-02-16 00:36Halo360° · halo1 7091 4258E15 gThe width was changed on 2024/08/06.
2024-02-15 23:1272106°5355024E15 g—
2024-02-15 22:1247143°5754674E15 gPartial Halo
2024-02-15 16:3625887°194—3E14 gPoor Event; Only C2
2024-02-15 08:24Halo360° · halo1 7511 6772E16 g—
2024-02-15 07:248345°2754921E15 gPoor Event; Only C2
Method and sources

The catalogue of the CDAW Data Center (NASA GSFC and The Catholic University of America, with the Naval Research Laboratory) lists every CME seen since 1996 by the LASCO C2 and C3 coronagraphs on SOHO. For each: time of the first C2 image, central position angle (measured from solar north towards the east), angular width, linear speed (fit to the measured heights), second-order speeds and speed at 20 solar radii, acceleration, mass and energy when estimated.

The single catalogue file is re-read daily; values marked with an asterisk (few measurement points) are kept as published. Yearly counts are computed from the imported rows.

Reading these data
The catalogue is measured by hand and published several weeks to months behind real time. Speeds are projected on the plane of the sky. A halo is seen all around the disk: it can be heading towards the Earth or away from it (far side). SOHO was lost from June to October 1998 and again in early 1999. The number of small CMEs detected increased with the image cadence.
SOURCES OF THIS PAGE
SOHO/LASCO CME catalogue (CDAW Data Center)
Yashiro, S., Gopalswamy, N., et al. (2004). A catalog of white light coronal mass ejections observed by the SOHO spacecraft. JGR 109, A07105; Gopalswamy, N., et al. (2009), Earth Moon Planets 104, 295. The CME catalog is generated and maintained at the CDAW Data Center by NASA and The Catholic University of America in cooperation with the Naval Research Laboratory. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. · doi:10.1029/2003JA010282 · source page ↗
Licence : NASA, public domain; acknowledgement requested (CDAW, SOHO is an ESA/NASA project) · retrieved on Oct 25, 2026 · SHA-256 68dcf21033fb…
Yashiro et al. (2004)
Yashiro, S., Gopalswamy, N., Michalek, G., St. Cyr, O. C., Plunkett, S. P., Rich, N. B., Howard, R. A. (2004). A catalog of white light coronal mass ejections observed by the SOHO spacecraft. Journal of Geophysical Research 109, A07105. · doi:10.1029/2003JA010282
Licence : Published literature; cited
Gopalswamy et al. (2009)
Gopalswamy, N., Yashiro, S., Michalek, G., et al. (2009). The SOHO/LASCO CME Catalog. Earth, Moon, and Planets 104, 295–313. · doi:10.1007/s11038-008-9282-7
Licence : Published literature; cited