• → European Space Agency

    • About Science & Technology

    • For Public

    • For Educators

    • ESA

    • Science & Technology

    • Double Star

    • Missions
    • Show All Missions
    • Mission Home
    • Summary
    • Fact Sheet
    • Mission Team
    • Orbit View
    • Background Science
    • Latest DSP Measurements
    • Spacecraft
    • 3D Model
    • Instruments
    • Mission Operations
    • EPOS
    • Status Reports
    • Science Operations
    • Data Access
    • Resources
    • News Archive
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Publication Archive
    • Calendar of Events
    • Services
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Bookmark and Share

    Earth's Bow Shock in the Solar Wind

    Date: 20 Jun 2006
    Depicts: Illustration of Earth's bow shock
    Copyright: ESA

    Sketch of the Earth's magnetosphere (in blue), embedded in the solar wind flow. Due to the interaction of the permanent incoming solar wind (coming from the left of the figure) with the Earth's magnetosphere, a permanent collisionless shock called a bow shock (yellow arc) is formed in front of the nose of the magnetopause, the external boundary layer of the magnetosphere.


    Last Update: 25 Mar 2009

    • Shortcut URL
    • http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=39562
    • Latest selection
    • IMAGE WIC Images of Localized Auroral Brightening
    • Orbits of Cluster, Double Star and THEMIS
    • Formation of a Reconnection Site
    • Image Hi-Res Versions
    • Hi-Res [tiff]
      672.13 kb.
    • See also
    • Cluster and Double Star discover density holes in the solar wind

    Connect with us

    • RSS
    • Youtube
    • Twitter
    • Flickr
    • Google Buzz
    • Livestream
    • Subscribe
    • App Store
    • ESA Science Twitter

    Follow ESA science

    • Copyright 2000 - 2013 © European Space Agency. All rights reserved.

    • Terms and Conditions