How Fast Is Solar Wind?

The solar wind is a stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun at 400 km/s. When this stream hits Earth's magnetic field, charged particles spiral toward the poles and create the auroras — the visible effect of a constant cosmic battle.

Solar wind shapes the comet tails we see — they always point away from the Sun, regardless of which way the comet is moving.

• Hits Earth at 1,440,000 km/h
• Creates the auroras at our poles