... Tonight's Sky . ... Observing . ... Outburst pulls magnetic slingshot . With Cluster data, scientists now have evidence that solar outbursts can generate conditions that slingshot matter in Earth's magnetic environment. ... As the CME reached Earth, solar wind magnetic field lines got stuck in the front of the magnetosphere, before sliding sideways and accelerating plasma like a 'magnetic slingshot'. ... Only registered members of Astronomy.com are allowed to comment on this article. ...