The picture above is a composite of a number of images taken by SMEI's three cameras on February 18, 2003. The center of the picture is facing toward the sun, and areas along the edges are in the opposite direction. This complete wrap around view enables Coronal Mass Ejections to be monitored as they leave the sun and travel through our solar system and beyond.

Note the band of brighter stars that form a loop in the picture above. This is in fact the main part of the Milky Way galaxy.