Tag - Solar Wind

Mars’ Magnetosphere’s Christmas Miracle: Stillness in the Solar Wind

Under usual circumstances, the MAVEN orbiter extends well beyond the boundaries of the Martian magnetosphere. However, this changed during a solar wind void. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterThe MAVEN Mars orbiter recently observed a transient restoration of the Martian magnetosphere and a temporary tripling of its ionosphere, a region where the Sun ionizes...

Recently identified Sun “Nanoflares” May Serve as the Origin of Solar Wind

Credit: PixaobayWhile outer space lacks traditional air, it experiences a unique form of wind known as solar wind, composed of charged particles emitted by the Sun. The precise process driving this phenomenon remains unclear, but the Solar Orbiter spacecraft from the European Space Agency (ESA) has recently detected hitherto undiscovered "small-scale" eruptions on the...