Astronomy
The Evolution of the Solar Wind Over the Sun's Lifetime
Quick fact
When the Sun was only about 100 million years old, it rotated several times faster than today, and its solar wind was up to 1,000 times more intense—strong enough to erode the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars in ways that shaped their histories.
Why this is interesting
The Sun might seem constant, but it has not always blown the same breeze. In its youth, the solar wind was so fierce it could strip entire atmospheres from planets—so why is today's wind so much gentler?