Magnetosphere (Noun)
Meaning
The magnetic field of a planet; the volume around the planet in which charged particles are subject more to the planet's magnetic field than to the solar magnetic field.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural phenomena.
Examples
- The Earth's magnetosphere protects the planet from the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted by the sun.
- Jupiter's strong magnetosphere is one of the most intense in the solar system, powered by the planet's rapid rotation and convection in its interior.
- The Voyager 1 spacecraft crossed the boundary of the heliopause, where the solar wind slows down to subsonic speeds and the sun's influence on the magnetosphere of the solar system ends.
- The magnetosphere of Mars is too weak to protect its surface from the solar wind, leading to atmospheric loss over time.
- Saturn's magnetosphere is fueled by the planet's rotation and the moon Enceladus, which provides a source of charged particles from its geysers.