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Description of How a Solar Wind Can Affect the Earth

Life on Earth relies on the sun for heat and energy. Without it plants could not grow and all animals would develop health problems. Along with the beneficial products of the solar body, it can also produce others that are more harmful, affecting a variety of electronics on Earth. A good example of this is solar winds, which are continuously expelled from the sun's atmosphere and radiate into the universe.

What Are Solar Winds?
- Solar winds are a massive ejection of charged particles from within the sun's atmosphere. It is a stream of charged electrons and protons, which are released from tremendous energy. They are able to escape the sun's atmosphere due to this high kinetic energy and the huge temperatures created by the sun's corona.
Effects on the Earth
- The Earth is relatively well protected from solar winds due to its distance from the sun and its protective atmosphere. Planets closer to the sun, like Mercury and Venus, are much more greatly affected. Technically, strong solar winds have the ability to knock out electrical power grids on Earth, but this idea is only theoretical. Solar winds should not be confused with solar flares, which are huge emissions of electromagnetic radiation from the sun caused by a build up of energy within its atmosphere. It was solar flares that caused the blackout in Canada in 1989 and could affect the Earth again in 2012 and 2013.
Effects on Satellites
- There are now countless numbers of satellites orbiting the Earth, supplying everything from television and radio signals to navigational and military equipment. As these satellites are much closer to the sun and are not protected by the atmosphere, they are much more likely to be affected by the charged radiation contained in solar winds. This can destroy electronics and circuitry, causing the satellite to malfunction. This could be a huge problem, especially for shipping navigation, but the shear number of satellites providing the information means even if one is destroyed little difference will be made to communications on the Earth's surface.
Viable Effects
- The aurora borealis (northern lights) and the aurora australis (southern lights) visible at the north and south poles, respectively, are caused by solar winds. When the solar winds collide with the Earth's ionosphere, a large amount of energy is released in the form of light, resulting in the aurora. The intensity of the lights varies depending on the strength of the solar winds. The visible tails on comets are also caused by the same reaction with solar winds.

Astronomy