The portion of a planetary magnetosphere pulled downstream by the solar wind.
The extreme extension of a magnetosphere, on the side of a planet opposite the Sun, caused by the solar wind. See the image on the right above.
The extension of the magnetosphere in the antisunward direction as a result of the interaction with solar wind. In the inner magnetotail, the field lines maintain a roughly dipolar configuration. But at greater distances in the antisunward direction, the field lines are stretched into northern and southern lobes, separated by a plasmasheet. There is observational evidence for traces of earth's magnetotail as far as 1000 earth radii downstream.
A long, tail-like structure in the magnetosphere of a planet, which points away from the Sun. Created by the interaction of the solar wind and the magnetic field of the planet, it can be thought of as caused by a 'dragging' of the magnetic field lines in the direction of the solar wind's motion (which is, of course, away from the Sun).
the long stretched-out nightside of the magnetosphere, the region in which substorms begin. It starts about 8 Earth radii (RE) nightward of the Earth and has been observed to distances of at least 220 RE. See plasma sheet, tail lobes.
The long magnetic tail of a magnetosphere drawn out by the flow of the solar wind. Earth's magnetotail is located on its night side (in the direction away from the Sun). It extends 100 of thousands of kilometers and is a major energy source for the magnetosphere. Auroral substorms are caused by powerful charged particles in the magnetotail.
long, wake-like structure on the anti-sunward side of the Earth's magnetic field. The solar wind "drags" the Earth's field out for a distance many times earth's-radius into space.
On the side of Earth opposite from the Sun, the solar wind draws the magnetic field out into a long tail, called the magnetotail. This tail extends out to 1,000 earth radii or more. Located within the magnetotail is a region of high density, high energy plasma, known as the plasma sheet. It may extend out past 300 earth radii. Within the plasma sheet is the neutral sheet. This is where the magnetic field lines reverse direction from a component towards Earth (Northern lobe) to a component away from Earth (Southern lobe).
A comet-like extension of a planet’s magnetosphere formed on the planet’s dark night side by the interaction of the solar wind and the magnetosphere. It can extend hundreds of planetary radii away from the Sun.
The region on the night side of the Earth where the magnetic field is stretched backwards by the force of the solar wind.
The region of the magnetosphere containing field lines stretched away from the Sun. It starts about 8 Earth radii (RE) nightward of the Earth and has been observed to distances of at least 22 RE.
The portion of a planetary magnetosphere which is pushed in the direction of the solar wind.
