8 ms·
Is this due to our Sun's rotation or because it revolves around the center of the Galaxy?
by arc_of_descent 13y ago
Is this due to our Sun's rotation or because it revolves around the center of the Galaxy?
- el_zorro 13y agoIt's caused by the sun's rotation, mostly. There are some complex magnetics that go on inside the sun, but the gist of it is that there is a differential in rotation rates between the poles and the equator of the sun. This causes field lines to be dragged along the equator, which then get knotted up and form coronal holes and other phenomena. Eventually, along an 11-year cycle, the field flips orientation. Source: I work in a solar research lab at the University of New Hampshire
- coldarchon 13y agoor you could have scrolled down where I wrote an answer hours ago ..
- Groxx 13y agoThere's evidence it happens to the Earth too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_reversal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_reversal seems like it's probably a fairly common thing with any spinning core.