Surely you have ever heard that one of the possible end of the world can be caused by the solar wind. He solar wind, as its own name indicates, happens in our sun. It has quite important characteristics and relevance to the Earth that many people are unaware of.
Therefore, in this article we are going to tell you what the solar wind is, its characteristics and how it affects our planet.
What is
The solar wind is a constant stream of charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, being ejected by the Sun in all directions. These particles travel at high speeds through space, carrying with them a constant flow of energy and magnetic fields generated by the Sun.
It originates in the solar corona, the outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere, where temperatures are extremely high. Due to these high temperatures, the particles gain enough energy to escape the sun's gravity and venture into space. As these particles propagate through the solar system, they can interact with the magnetic fields and atmospheres of planets and other celestial bodies.
It is not uniform and can vary in speed and density. When solar activity is high, such as during solar maximums, the solar wind can become stronger, which in turn can influence space phenomena such as auroras at Earth's poles and disruptions in communications and information systems. navigation.
One of the reasons for the importance of the solar wind is that plays a fundamental role in the creation and maintenance of the heliosphere, the region of space dominated by the Sun and its effects. This constant emission of charged particles is an important factor in understanding the physics of interplanetary space and how it interacts with the objects in it.
How it affects the Earth
The 1989 Quebec blackout marked a turning point in the study of the effects of the solar wind on Earth. However, we have innumerable records of the effects that the emission of solar masses has on our planet, and especially on technological systems.
Below we explain the different technical systems that are affected by the solar wind:
- Geological Interpretation Techniques
- high voltage network
- Oil and gas pipelines
- long distance telecommunications
- train signaling system
Some of these systems are explained by the disturbances they cause in the magnetic field, others by the changes they cause. believe in the conductive materials with which they are built. However, in addition to all the above technologies, there are other technologies that are also affected by the modification of the amplitude and phase of electromagnetic waves, such as navigation and communication systems, which can cause GPS errors.
But solar particles not only affect the surface, the Earth's atmosphere and the magnetosphere protect us from their radiation, however, when astronauts come out of this protective layer, they are exposed to their enormous energy, which can cause genetic and DNA mutations. .
Magnetosphere and solar wind
The magnetosphere is one of the many layers that surround the Earth. In this case, we are talking about the outermost and largest layer that makes up the Earth's atmosphere, starting 500 kilometers above the surface and extending into space to more than 60.000 kilometers. In fact, it is nothing more than a magnetic field generated inside the Earth. Our planet has an extremely hot iron core that acts like a dynamo as the Earth spins, turning it into a giant magnet with a magnetic field and poles.
This is not something exclusive to Earth, in fact, other planets in our same system such as Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus have it, however, the force of Earth is the strongest, preventing most of the solar wind pass through it.
Solar wind and solar storm
Solar wind and solar storms are related but different phenomena that occur due to the sun's activity.
- solar wind: It is a constant stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun in all directions. The solar wind is a persistent phenomenon that varies in intensity due to solar activity, such as sunspots and coronal mass ejections.
- Solar storm: It is a rather explosive event that occurs when large amounts of solar material are released from the corona into space at high speed. Solar storms are special events and do not occur constantly like the solar wind.
Relationship between the solar wind and the polar auroras
The aurora is one of the most spectacular and wonderful spectacles observable from Earth, a phenomenon that has fascinated humans since ancient times. They are glows or cold lights that appear in the sky at the poles or nearby regions at night. When they appear in the southern hemisphere they are called aurora australis, while in the northern hemisphere they are called aurora borealis.
We will discuss auroras because they are closely related to geomagnetism, the solar wind, and all the concepts that we have discussed throughout this article that auroras are created by particles emitted by the sun: the wind, the sun's collision with and through the magnetosphere. These particles are stored in a magnetic field, and when this energy becomes unstable, it is emitted in the form of electromagnetic radiation, ultimately resulting in these colored light effects.
The auroras are not always the same, but vary greatly and can have different colors, shapes, and structures. So you can find many variations, however, a typical aurora borealis usually looks like this:
- At nightfall, an elongated arc appears on the horizon, usually from east to west.
- At midnight, the arc's glow intensifies and ripples form along the arc, stretching the light.
- The whole sky begins to be covered with these rays, spirals and bands of light that move along the horizon.
- It usually lasts from a few minutes to a few hours, with no set time.
- As dawn approaches, these lights disappear, leaving only a part of the sky illuminated.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the solar wind and its characteristics.