ABSTRACT
From theoretical models to actual observations of solar winds, a lot of development has taken place during the last five decades. This chapter discusses the historical perspective of solar wind, and the inadequacy of Chapman's static model of solar corona that led to Parker's dynamical model of ex-panding corona, and heliospheric magnetic fields. Parker's predictions were validated by the space observations. Observations of solar wind from the equatorial to polar regions from Ulysses are described. Solar wind properties such as slow and fast streams, coronal interactive regions, accelera-tion of solar wind, its variation with solar activity cycle, and propagation of shocks and disturbances through the interplanetary medium are discussed. The encounter of solar wind with the intrinsically magnetised and non-magnetised planets and their moons are described. The solar activity cycles and transient explosive phenomena on Sun influence and disturb the planetary magnetospheres and the vast heliosphere consisting of the interplanetary medium between the Sun, planets, and beyond that comprises the heliosphere. With increasing dependence on the space era, space weather and its prediction are becoming important requiring continuous monitoring of the Sun.
