Starstruck: NASA Research Shows How Sun’s Ancient History Shaped Earth
At the center of our solar system, the Sun influences every planet that orbits it. In two recent NASA-funded studies, scientists uncovered how ancient events in the Sun’s history may have helped create Earth’s unique climate and driven previously unexplained climatic shifts. In new research, scientists at NASA’s SHIELD (Solar Wind with Hydrogen Ion charge Exchange and Large-Scale Dynamics) center…
NASA research reveals how our ancient Sun shaped Earth's climate. Two recent studies funded by NASA have uncovered how events in the Sun's history may have played a role in creating Earth's unique climate and driving climatic shifts. At the SHIELD (Solar Wind with Hydrogen Ion charge Exchange and Large-Scale Dynamics) center, one study traces the trajectory of the heliosphere, the massive bubble of charged particles created by our Sun that envelops our solar system.
Another paper explores how Earth's young, dimmer Sun was able to heat the planet by generating potent greenhouse gases. The heliosphere, our solar system's protective "atmosphere," has orbited the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, for billions of years. Over this time, it has passed through various regions, including frigid expanses of gas and dust.
These encounters may have caused the heliosphere to shrink, exposing Earth to different surrounding conditions and potentially triggering ice ages. The findings suggest that changes to our Sun's environment may be key to understanding Earth's temperature swings.
Written by urgent.news from NASA Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
