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What is the solar wind?

Space WeatherSolar System

Quick Answer

The solar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles flowing outward from the Sun. It shapes comet tails and helps create auroras when it reaches Earth.

The Full Story

The solar wind is made mostly of electrons and protons escaping from the Sun’s upper atmosphere, or corona. It is always flowing, but its speed and density vary depending on solar activity and the type of solar region it comes from. Near Earth, the solar wind typically travels at hundreds of kilometers per second and interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. That interaction helps produce the auroras seen near the poles and influences the shape of planetary magnetospheres throughout the Solar System.

Key Facts

1.Made mainly of electrons and protons
2.Near Earth it often travels hundreds of km/s
3.Helps produce auroras when it interacts with magnetic fields

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"The invisible wind blowing from the Sun"