What is the solar wind?
The solar wind is solar radiation in the form of a steady stream of electrically charged particles mostly protons and electrons which pours out of the Sun at the speed of upto 150,000 km/sec. The particles are however smaller than atoms.
What happens when the solar wind hits the Earth?
The solar wind is deflected by the Earth’s magnetic field and does not touch the Earth. The deflected solar wind streams behind the Earth similar to a cometary tail.
Does the Solar wind have any effect on the Earth?
Since the particles of the solar wind are electrically charged, they tend to move towards the Earth’s magnetic poles, making the sky in the Polar Regions glow in vivid patterns called aurorae.
What is the solar limb?
The solar limb is the edge of the Sun’s disc.
What is the solar atmosphere?
The portion of the Sun lying in the region outside the limb is called the solar atmosphere.
Is the solar atmosphere normally visible from the Earth?
No. The intense brightness of the Sun’s disc prevents us from seeing anything else in the vicinity. The solar atmosphere can however be seen during a total solar eclipse when the Sun’s disc is totally covered by the Moon.