Large wildfires create fire weather, resulting in a vicious loop. The fires create dark clouds of soot that increase temperatures and dry out the atmosphere.
The difference between apparent solar time (the actual time between noons) and mean solar time (the average time between noons) is called the equation of time.
The heliosphere is a bubble of solar gas that extends outward and protects the planets from interstellar radiation. Scientists would like a probe to study it.