I’ve heard the term “solar wind” being used in a variety of scenarios related to space. Since wind isn’t possible in space, what exactly is solar wind and how is it caused?
In: 7
It’s a bunch of charged particles being shot off constantly by the Sun. This is different from a solar flare or coronal mass ejection (CME).
It’s essentially just nuclear radiation coming from the Sun. When it hits the Earth’s magnetic field, the charged particles get pushed by the Lorentz force (F=qv×B) and the particles get directed towards the poles. When they hit the atmosphere, they release a ton of energy in the form of light, creating the Aurora Borealis (and the Aurora Australis).
During a solar maximum (a time when there is more solar activity), there are more solar winds produced, and more solar storms, the Aurora Borealis can reach further away from the poles than normal. The solar cycle is 11 years long, and the next one is in July 2025.
A solar flare is when a magnetic field loop streams particles in an arch shape out of the surface of the sun.
A coronal mass ejection is when a solar flare rapidly collapses (this doesn’t happen every time a solar flare happens), and it flings a bunch of matter from the sun into space. Usually, this doesn’t get anywhere near the Earth (because the Earth is so small in comparison). In 1859, one of these hit the Earth, resulting in what we call the Carrington Event. Telegraph wires caught fire, and the Auroras were visible all over the world. If a similar event happened today, most technology would be destroyed.
A solar storm is just any elevated activity on the sun. This could include sunspots, solar flares, or CMEs.
Latest Answers