Our planet is connected with our sun with more than light. In this picture, it appears the sun and earth are connected by the stream of charged particles that come from the sun. The Sun produces a hot gas that travels through space at a million miles per hour, carrying particles and magnetism outward past the planets. In essense, the Earth is immersed in the Sun's atmosphere. Changes on the Sun affect the solar wind flow; for example, solar flares, which are explosions associated with sunspots, cause strong gusts of solar wind.

The space around our atmosphere is alive and dynamic because the Earth's magnetic field reacts to changes in the solar wind. The interaction between the solar wind and the plasma of the magnetosphere acts like an electric generator, creating electric fields deep inside the magnetosphere. These fields in turn give rise to a general circulation of the plasma within the magnetosphere and accelerate some electrons and ions to higher energies.

During periods of gusty solar wind, powerful magnetic storms in space near the Earth cause vivid auroras, radio and television static, power blackouts, navigation problems for ships and airplanes with magnetic compasses, and damage to satelites and spacecraft. Events on the Sun and in the magnetosphere can also trigger changes in the electrical and chemical properties of the atmosphere, the ozone layer, and high-altitude temperatures and wind patterns.