MCQ Detailed View

The solar wind is a continuous flow of charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, that streams outward from the Sun into space. This flow is a result of the extremely high temperature and pressure in the Sun’s outermost atmosphere, known as the corona.

The Sun’s structure consists of several layers:

1. 
   

   Photosphere: The visible surface of the Sun that emits most of the sunlight we see.

   
   


2. 
   

   Chromosphere: A thin, reddish layer just above the photosphere.

   
   


3. 
   

   Corona: The outermost atmosphere of the Sun, extending millions of kilometers into space.

   
   

The corona has an incredibly high temperature, reaching over 1 million degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the Sun’s gas becomes a plasma—a mixture of charged particles with very high energy. Because of the intense thermal pressure and magnetic field activity, some of these particles escape the Sun’s gravity and move outward at high speeds, forming the solar wind.

The solar wind plays a vital role in the solar system. It carries the Sun’s magnetic field into space and interacts with planets, including Earth. When the solar wind collides with Earth's magnetic field, it can cause geomagnetic storms, auroras (Northern and Southern Lights), and sometimes even disrupt satellite communications.The solar wind does not originate from the photosphere or chromosphere, as these layers do not have enough temperature or conditions for particles to escape the Sun’s gravity. It is specifically the corona, with its extreme heat and low density, that allows particles to accelerate into space.

In Everyday Science, understanding solar wind helps explain natural phenomena in space and how solar activity can impact life and technology on Earth. The correct answer is Corona, the Sun’s outermost and hottest atmospheric layer responsible for generating the solar wind.