💨 THE SOLAR WIND
PAGE 1 OF 5 — SUN STREAM
CONSTANT FLOW
THE SUN NEVER STOPS BLOWING
The Sun is not just light and heat. It also sends a steady stream of charged particles into space. This flow is called the solar wind. It is made mostly of electrons and protons, which together form a state of matter called plasma. The wind blows in all directions, carrying the Sun's magnetic field outward. It travels far past every planet, shaping the space weather of our entire solar system.
🌬️ PLASMA
Plasma is gas so hot that atoms lose electrons. The solar wind is a plasma flowing from the Sun at hundreds of kilometres per second.
WIND!
PARTICLES
⚡ Electrons and protons
🔥 Born in the Sun's outer layers
🔥 Born in the Sun's outer layers
SPEED
🚀 Hundreds of km per second
🌌 Fills the solar system
🌌 Fills the solar system
PAGE 2 OF 5 — FROM THE CORONA
OUTER SUN
WHERE THE WIND BEGINS
The solar wind starts in the Sun's corona, the super-hot outer atmosphere visible during a total eclipse. Extreme heat gives particles enough energy to escape the Sun's gravity. Some regions send a slow, dense wind. Others launch a faster, thinner stream. Together they form a bubble of solar influence called the heliosphere. Every planet, comet, and spacecraft travels inside this enormous solar breeze.
🌑 CORONA
The corona is millions of degrees hot, far hotter than the Sun's visible surface, which helps particles break free into space.
CORONA!
ESCAPE
🔥 Heat gives particles speed
⬆️ Gravity cannot hold them all
⬆️ Gravity cannot hold them all
BUBBLE
🫧 Heliosphere wraps the system
🛰️ Spacecraft feel the wind
🛰️ Spacecraft feel the wind
SPEED
🚀 Fast and slow streams
🌌 Wind fills deep space
🌌 Wind fills deep space
PAGE 3 OF 5 — EARTH'S SHIELD
DEFLECT
🛡️ Most particles curve away
🌍 Atmosphere stays protected
🌍 Atmosphere stays protected
MARS
🔴 Weak field, thin air
💨 Solar wind can erode atmospheres
💨 Solar wind can erode atmospheres
MAGNETOSPHERE
OUR PLANETARY FORCE FIELD
Earth has a powerful magnetic field generated deep inside by molten iron. This magnetosphere acts like a giant shield, deflecting most solar wind particles around the planet. Without it, the wind could strip away parts of our atmosphere over time. Mars lost much of its atmosphere partly because it lacks a strong global magnetic field today. Earth's shield is one reason life could thrive here for billions of years.
🧲 FIELD
Earth's magnetic field stretches far into space, creating a protective teardrop-shaped magnetosphere.
SHIELD!
PAGE 4 OF 5 — POLAR LIGHTS
AURORA
WHEN PARTICLES SLIP THROUGH
At Earth's north and south poles, the magnetosphere funnels some solar wind particles down into the atmosphere. When they hit oxygen and nitrogen gas, energy is released as glowing light. In the north this is the aurora borealis. In the south it is the aurora australis. Greens, pinks, and reds dance across the sky. Stronger solar wind means brighter, wider auroras that can sometimes be seen farther from the poles.
🌌 GLOW
Aurora colours depend on which gas is hit and how high in the atmosphere the collision happens.
LIGHTS!
NORTH
🌌 Aurora borealis at Arctic
💚 Green is most common colour
💚 Green is most common colour
SOUTH
✨ Aurora australis in Antarctica
☀️ Stronger wind, bigger shows
☀️ Stronger wind, bigger shows
GAS
💨 Oxygen and nitrogen glow
🎨 Colours vary by altitude
🎨 Colours vary by altitude
PAGE 5 OF 5 — WIND FACTS
WRAP UP
THE SUN'S INVISIBLE BREEZE
The solar wind is a constant flow of charged plasma from the Sun's corona. Earth's magnetosphere deflects most of it, protecting our atmosphere. Some particles sneak in at the poles and create stunning auroras. The wind reaches every planet and fills the heliosphere. Understanding it helps scientists protect satellites, astronauts, and power grids from space weather.
WIND!
WATCH
🛰️ Satellites monitor the stream
🌌 Auroras show it reaching Earth
🌌 Auroras show it reaching Earth
REMEMBER
🪐 KEY FACTS
The Sun streams charged plasma as solar wind. Earth's magnetosphere deflects most particles. Some enter at the poles and create auroras. The wind shapes space weather across the solar system.
💨 Plasma flows constantly from the Sun
🧲 Earth's magnetic field shields us
🌌 Auroras glow when particles hit air
🧲 Earth's magnetic field shields us
🌌 Auroras glow when particles hit air
🧠 QUIZ TIME!
THE SOLAR WIND · 5 QUESTIONS
QUESTION 01
What is the solar wind?
QUESTION 02
What protects Earth from most of the solar wind?
QUESTION 03
Where do auroras usually appear?
QUESTION 04
What state of matter is the solar wind?
QUESTION 05
Why is the solar wind important to study?
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