| Term: | bow shock |
| Definition: |
A standing shock wave in front of the magnetosphere, arising from the interaction of the supersonic solar wind with the Earth’s magnetic field. |
| Term: | bow shock |
| Definition: |
The bow shock is a discontinuity that forms in the solar wind when the supersonic solar wind encounters the magnetic field of a planet, very similar to the shock wave that forms upstream of an aircraft moving at a supersonic speed. |