What medium defines space weather versus atmospheric weather conditions?
Answer
Plasma, magnetic fields, and high-energy radiation in space
Atmospheric weather, which governs familiar terrestrial conditions like rain and wind, operates within the troposphere and is fundamentally based on the dynamics of gases and water vapor. In contrast, space weather describes the dynamic environment in the vacuum of space, stretching from the Sun outward. This environment is characterized by plasma, which is ionized gas consisting of charged particles flowing as solar wind, coupled with the influence of magnetic fields and the presence of high-energy radiation originating from solar activity. The distinction between the two is defined entirely by the physical medium they inhabit and govern.
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