How to Measure the Solar Wind
First detected by instruments aboard spacecraft in the 1950s and 1960s, the solar wind is made up of charged particles streaming away from the Sun. The solar wind originates in the Sun's corona, the high-temperature section of the Sun's atmosphere. Traveling away from the Sun at an average speed of 400 kilometers per second (equal to about 1,000,000 miles per hour), the solar wind spreads throughout the solar system. The solar wind affects the Earth, where the planet's magnetosphere interacts with the solar wind to deflect many of the particles before they hit the Earth's surface.
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Instructions
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Steps to Measure the Solar Wind
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Check data from spacecraft that measure the solar wind. You can only directly measure the particles emitted by the solar wind in space.
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Read past reports of solar wind activity. There are sudden spikes in the solar wind, caused by unexpected solar flares, but the wind generally follows a long-term cycle that can provide predictions of future activity.
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Monitor the activity of the auroras. The magnetic field of the Earth causes the Aurora borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora australis (Southern Lights). This magnetic field is, in turn, affected by the charged particles of the solar wind. If the solar wind increases in strength, the Earth has more magnetic activity in its atmosphere. More magnetic activity means brighter and more active auroras.
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Watch for reports of major solar flares and activity. Reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) appear whenever there is a major event.
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Tips & Warnings
Look for major activity in the solar wind at times when the solar cycle is at a maximum. Scientists predict the next solar maximum in 2013.
Increased activity in the solar wind can cause radiation poisoning for astronauts in space. Fortunately, the Earth's atmosphere protects us from most of this radiation.
Abrupt increases in the solar wind, caused by solar flares, can have a negative effect on radio broadcasting, satellite relays and electrical systems on Earth.
