Hobbies And Interests
History
It was in March of 1989 that the solar wind last made its presence known on Earth. A large solar flare jettisoned from the sun, striking the Earth four days later. Residents as far south as Cuba witnessed the aurora, usually visible only north of the United States. But the storm didn't simply provide a nice light show. It was also blamed for a massive nine-hour blackout in Quebec that affected more than six million people.
Magnetic Dance
When the solar wind leaves its home, it attracts the star's magnetic field and drags it along behind it. This interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) meets the Earth's magnetosphere and begins a sort of dance with it. The interaction changes the shape of the magnetosphere, pushing it toward the orbit of Mars a distance one hundred times that of the Earth's radius. This interaction also leads to the creation of a convection electric field within the magnetosphere.
Space Tourism
As the idea of space travel becomes increasingly possible, tourism companies will have to consider carefully the effects of the solar wind on potential travelers. Solar flares are as harmful as radiation from a nuclear bomb; therefore, in times when solar protons have an energy greater than 25-30 MeV, lunar tourists will have to be banned from activities on the moon.
Power outages
The way that humans communicate can change rapidly when solar winds attack. Some low-frequency radio signals are disrupted by solar flares, and even military warning systems can be rendered useless during a solar storm. Satellites often run into problems from solar flares as well, but in their case the results can be devastating, as sensitive equipment is disabled by electrical discharges. A satellite's orbital life is often shortened as well by an increase in air drag caused by the cloud of particles.
Beautiful Lights
The solar wind isn't always destructive. In fact, it can provide quite a beautiful light display. The solar wind throws solar particles against the atmosphere of the Earth, turning them into light. Most auroras are green because this is the color oxygen emits when it is struck by electrons, but in times of intense storm activity viewers may see shades of red as well.
Theories/Speculation
It has been speculated that the solar wind may affect Earth's weather. At times when the Earth's magnetic field is weaker than normal, solar particles can reach further into the planet's atmosphere. Carbon 14 data has revealed a possible relationship between surface wind speed and changes in the sun's intensity that occurred during a 2,000-year period of the Holocene Epoch. As with all theories, much more research is needed before a positive relationship can be established.