I've got a question. Earth's magnetic field is teardrop shaped because of the effects of solar wind right? So why would the Sun's magnetic field be teardrop shaped? I think they screwed up the graphic and made it teardrop shaped because they knew that's what Earth's MagField looked like but shouldn't the Sun's be roughly spherical since it doesn't experience any such "windblasting"?
Sorry to repost this again but I was curious about it. Does anyone know the answer to this or am I just way off base for the cause of the magnetic field being teardrop shaped?
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The ME field is sorta teardrop shaped but on both ends away from the poles. Narrow point out. of course.
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I would guess because of galactic spin, perhaps?
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OK, I was doing some research on this and indeed the reasoning behind the teardrop shape of the Sun's Heliosphere is that it trails behind the Sun in the opposite direction of it's travel path through the galaxy.
Earth's magnetic field is a little different, the blasting of the solar wind is more powerful then Earth's velocity so the magnetic field points directly opposite to the side of Earth facing the sun much like a comet's tail.
One interesting thing I learned though is that at the front of the Heliosphere where it interacts with the galactic medium, their is an area of glowing plasma. It used to be only 10 AU's in thickness but now has grown to almost 100 AU's deep. Some have speculated that this increase is responsible for some atmospheric changes not only on Earth but throughout the solar system including the Moon who's once almost non-existent atmosphere is growing gradually (though it's still extremely tenous).
Here's a page discussing the growth of the forward edge of the Sun's Heliosphere, though I believe some of it's doomsday predictions and links to just about every disaster on Earth are a bit farfetched, it is still an interesting read:
-------------------- "You must talk to him; tell him that he is a good cat, and a pretty cat, and..." -- Data "I will feed him" -- Worf (Phantasms)
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quote:Originally posted by Bond, James Bond: I believe some of it's doomsday predictions and links to just about every disaster on Earth are a bit farfetched, it is still an interesting read:
No shit! They think the heliosphere was behind the 9/11 attacks.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
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Well the Heliosphere is part of the Axis of Evil.
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If only we could sell Bush on that: NASA might get a budget!
We could make something up about aliens living in the sun and....
Naaaa. Not even hollywood would buy that crap.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
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We endeavour to build a nucular powered ve-hicle to get them green blooded bastards from the Sun! Who's comin' with me? Bring some sunblock and near beer.
-------------------- "You must talk to him; tell him that he is a good cat, and a pretty cat, and..." -- Data "I will feed him" -- Worf (Phantasms)
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Mr. President, we have an idea there are aliens on Pluto, we think they have weapons of mass destruction and may have used them on their own creatures. Shall we invade?
Is really all it would take.
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
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Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
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And of course, the real driving force behind an intervention there rather than in the much bloodier conflict between the Green and the Red Martians on Sol IV would be Pluto's vast deposits of tiberium, right? B)
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Would the Mars Corporation have to change it's name to Freedom Candies Corporation?
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
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Damn straight. You know who eats Mars Bars? Hippies and Communists!
While were at it can we change Uranus to Planet Freedom? It's not that the Uranians have done anything wrong it's just that there planets name sucks.
-------------------- "You must talk to him; tell him that he is a good cat, and a pretty cat, and..." -- Data "I will feed him" -- Worf (Phantasms)
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I heard that on the radio and the talk radio guy, nor much of anyone else knew what it was.... Any clues???
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
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