Space Tornadoes

By
Rachelle Oblack
    Rachelle Oblack is a K-12 science educator and Holt McDougal science textbook writer. She specializes in climate and weather.
    our editorial process
    Rachelle Oblack
    Updated March 18, 2017

    Space tornadoes is a weather term that can have 2 different meanings. A space tornado can mean a tornado that occurs in outer space or it can mean terrestrial tornadoes that can be seen from space. Keep in mind that only terrestrial tornadoes on Earth are technically classified as a real tornado.

    Cosmic Tornadoes from Young Stars

    Solar Windstorm Tornadoes

    auroras

    New research from the University of California has made detailed measurements of these space tornadoes, also known as substorm current wedges. According to a National Geographic News story, space tornadoes kick-start terrestrial auroras. The University of California team has discovered that space tornadoes form at least every three hours and take just a minute to reach the ionosphere.

    Tornadoes from Space

    weather satellites

    Weather on Other Planets

    How's the Weather on Other Planets?

    is an excellent site to tour the typical weather on other planets. For instance, the temperature on Venus, with an intense greenhouse effect, can reach 900 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also tour the 1,00 mile per hour winds on the planet Saturn.

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    Oblack, Rachelle. "Space Tornadoes." ThoughtCo, Jan. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/all-about-space-tornadoes-3444198. Oblack, Rachelle. (2020, January 29). Space Tornadoes. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/all-about-space-tornadoes-3444198 Oblack, Rachelle. "Space Tornadoes." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/all-about-space-tornadoes-3444198 (accessed March 6, 2021).