Posted on 12/30/2013 9:48:19 AM PST by Farnsworth
The sun is flipping its poles!
Actually, NASA reports that this phenomenon happens about 11 years, when the sun's vast magnetic field flips.
"It looks like we're no more than three to four months away from a complete field reversal," said solar physicist Todd Hoeksema of Stanford University. "This change will have ripple effects throughout the solar system."
A video shows how the sun will complete the reversal, which appens at the peak of each solar cycle as the sun's inner magnetic dynamo re-organizes. The current "flip" is the midway point of Solar Cycle 24, NASA said.
Hoeksema is the director of Stanford's Wilcox Solar Observatory, one of the few observatories in the world that monitors the sun's polar magnetic fields. The poles are a herald of change. Just as Earth scientists watch our planet's polar regions for signs of climate change, solar physicists do the same thing for the sun. Magnetograms at Wilcox have been tracking the sun's polar magnetism since 1976, and they have recorded three grand reversals--with a fourth in the offing.
Solar physicist Phil Scherrer, also at Stanford, describes what happens: "The sun's polar magnetic fields weaken, go to zero and then emerge again with the opposite polarity. This is a regular part of the solar cycle."
A reversal of the sun's magnetic field is, literally, a big event. The domain of the sun's magnetic influence (also known as the "heliosphere") extends billions of kilometers beyond Pluto. Changes to the field's polarity ripple all the way out to the Voyager probes, on the doorstep of interstellar space.
Yes we do indeed
This is a perfect article for Red Eye’s guy who is “afraid of everything”
Some publication will make a big deal of it even though the article says “it is a regular part of the solar system.”
This is a perfect article for Red Eye’s guy who is “afraid of everything”
Some publication will make a big deal of it even though the article says “it is a regular part of the solar system.”
“Like flaming globes of Sigmund!!!!!”
5.56mm
I knew about the 11 year sun spot cycle, but the magnetic poles flipping were new to me.
“Nature is a mad scientist Jerry, a mad scientist”
The only "ripple effects" I ever observed occurred in winos. ;)
73s.
88s right back at ya. LMAO
Worry about when the Earth’s poles flip.
http://www.pakalertpress.com/2012/02/15/what-if-earths-magnetic-poles-flip/
/johnny
5.56mm
meh.....what can you do? roll them dice.....
Let's see...uummm...that means it has flipped approximately 6 times since I was born. Let me think????? OK, I don't remember anything unusual. Oh well, I'll have a few cool ones again tonight. Happy New Year everyone.
almost 5 for me. Only thing I’ve noticed is people are getting more stupid.
Does this mean I need to replace my polarized sunglasses?....or can I just reverse the lenses?
flip em inside out and they should work fine
Are you kidding, just look at the fantastic income opportunity. Start making compasses with the N & S reversed (people are dumb)there’s a boatload of money to be made. remember Pet Rocks? With the proper fear mongering, ala “globull warming” there is a whole host of products that could be brought to market. “Don’t be lost when the poles flip, get your new calibrated compass now!”
Immediate destruction of the universe.
Well hell, now I can’t. I’d be stealing your idea and I don’t want a lawsuit.
And yet, one could not possibly have anything to do with the other. Nahhhhh.
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