stellar wind

noun

Definition of stellar wind

: plasma continuously ejected from a star's surface into surrounding space

Recent Examples of stellar wind from the Web

In 2016, astronomers discovered an Earth-mass planet around Proxima Centauri, but the planet, blasted by radiation and fierce stellar winds, seems unlikely to be habitable.

— daniel clery, Science | AAAS, "What is Alpha Centauri hiding? Searches for Earth-like planets ramp up around our nearest stellar neighbor," 11 Apr. 2018
These heavy elements bubble up to the surface in large amounts, where vicious stellar winds rip them up and eject them into space.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "The Solar System Could Have Formed in a Bubble Surrounding One of the Hottest Stars," 22 Dec. 2017
The bow shock is formed by the collision of stellar wind with the planet's magnetosphere.

— samantha mathewson, NBC News, "Looking for a Halloween Playlist? NASA Shares Universe's Spooky Sounds," 31 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stellar wind.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.