Solar Wind
Astronomy
A stream of plasma coming out of the Sun in all directions at very high speeds—an average of about 400 km/sec, or a million mph. Solar wind is responsible for the tails of comets pointing away from the Sun and for the shape of the magnetosphere around the planets. Solar wind can also have a measurable effect on the flight paths of spacecraft.
- — NASA Helioviewer.org Visual Glossary retrieved 2014-05-26
A continuous stream of tiny charged particles coming from the Sun. The solar wind interacts with the magnetic field and atmosphere of Earth causing auroras. The solar wind pours out of the Sun at 200 tons per second and a million miles per hour.
- — Space Weather Center Glossary of Space Weather-Related Terms retrieved 2014-05-26
Weather
The outward flux of solar particles and magnetic fields from the sun. Typically, solar wind velocities are near 350 km/s.