Home▸Space & Astronomy▸The Solar Wind: What It Is, How Fast It Blows, and How We Measure It

🌬️ The Solar Wind: Composition & Measurement Lab

Watch plasma stream from the Sun's corona, curl into a Parker spiral as the Sun rotates, and sweep past an L1 spacecraft that measures its speed and density before it reaches Earth's magnetosphere.

Space & Astronomy3DAdvanced60 FPS💨 Air & Wind 🌍 Earth ⚡ Plasma

A continuous stream of plasma pours off the Sun's corona, curling into a Parker spiral as the Sun rotates beneath it, sweeping past a small L1 spacecraft parked ahead of Earth, and finally piling up against Earth's magnetic field at the bow shock — the whole chain that gives forecasters advance warning of space weather.

🔬 What It Demonstrates

Fast wind from coronal holes and slow wind from the streamer belt trace differently-wound spirals — slower plasma winds tighter, exactly as predicted by tan(ψ) = Ω·r / v — while a simulated L1 spacecraft "measures" the passing stream's speed and density seconds before it reaches Earth.

🎮 How to Use

Pick a source region, or blend both streams, then drag the speed and density sliders and watch the spiral angle, transit time and dynamic pressure update live. Toggle the spiral guide lines and Earth's bow shock, and orbit the scene with your mouse or finger.

💡 Did You Know?

Solar wind measured at L1 gives Earth roughly 15-60 minutes of warning before it arrives — just enough time for power grid operators and satellite controllers to brace for a geomagnetic storm.

⚙ Under the hood

Watch plasma stream from the Sun's corona, curl into a Parker spiral as the Sun rotates, and sweep past an L1 spacecraft that measures its speed and density before it reaches Earth's magnetosphere.

solar windsun coronaplasmamagnetospherel1 spacecraftParker spiralThree.js

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install