Sun Magnetic Field Flip Live Shots and Media Resources

Credits

• Animator

  • Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.) [Lead]

• Video editor

  • Michael Randazzo (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.)

• Scientists

  • C. Alex Young (NASA/GSFC)
  • Holly Gilbert (NASA/GSFC)

• Producer

  • Michelle Handleman (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)

• Videographer

  • Rob Andreoli (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.)

• Project support

  • Genna Duberstein (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
  • Scott Wiessinger (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)

Related Pages

• Related

  • 

    ID: 11419 Produced Video

    Pole Reversal

    Jan. 7th, 2014
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Like a bar magnet, the sun has a magnetic north and south pole. The comparison to a simple bar magnet ends there, however, as the sun's magnetic fields are on the move. In fact, approximately every 11 years the polarity of the sun’s northern and southern hemisphere flips. This change is part of a regular cycle called the solar cycle. Each cycle is defined by periods of high and low solar activity caused by the movement of magnetic field lines that extend out from the sun. Now, a new animation created from data collected by the ESA/NASA SOHO spacecraft shows how migrating magnetic field lines result in a reversal of the sun’s polarity. Watch the video to see the evolution of the sun’s magnetic field from January 1997 to December 2013. ||

    Read more
  • 

    ID: 4124 Visualization

    The Sun's Magnetic Field

    Dec. 5th, 2013
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    During the course of the approximately 11 year sunspot cycle, the magnetic field of the Sun reverses. The last time this happened was around the year 2000. Using magnetograms from the SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI instruments, it is possible to examine possible configurations of the magnetic field above the photosphere. These magnetic configurations are important in understanding potential conditions of severe space weather.The magnetic field in this animation is constructed using the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model. The PFSS model is one of the simplest yet realistic models we can explore. Using the solar magnetograms as the 'source surface' of the field, it builds the field structure from the photosphere out to about two solar radii (an altitude of 1 solar radius). These visuals were generated using the SolarSoft package. In this visualization, the white magnetic field lines are considered 'closed'. The move up, and then return to the solar surface. The green and violet lines represenent field lines that are considered 'open'. Green represents positive magnetic polarity, and violet represents negative polarity. These field lines do not connect back to the Sun but with more distant magnetic fields in space. These field lines act as easy 'roads' for the high-speed solar wind. ||

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• Used as a Source In

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    ID: 13642 Produced Video

    11 Years Charting The Edge of The Solar System

    June 11th, 2020
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Music credits: “End of Days - Joe Mason Remix” by Connor Shambrook [BMI], Cyrus Reynolds [BMI], Flynn Hase Spence [ASCAP], Joseph Scott Mason [APRA]; “Brainstorming” by Laurent Dury [SACEM]; “Flight of the Leaf Remix” by Julie Gruss [GEMA], Laurent Dury [SAXEM]; “Ticks and Thoughts” by Laurent Dury [SACEM]; “Intimate Journey” by Laurent Vernerey [SACEM], Nicolas de Ferran [SACEM] from Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available. || 13642_IBEX11years_YouTube.00214_print.jpg (1024x576) [239.3 KB] || 13642_IBEX11years_YouTube.00214_searchweb.png (320x180) [98.0 KB] || 13642_IBEX11years_YouTube.00214_thm.png (80x40) [6.7 KB] || 13642_IBEX11years_Prores-2.mov (1920x1080) [4.2 GB] || 13642_IBEX11years_YouTube.mp4 (1920x1080) [489.0 MB] || 13642_IBEX11years_Facebook.mp4 (1920x1080) [366.4 MB] || 13642_IBEX11years_Twitter.mp4 (1920x1080) [66.4 MB] || 13642_IBEX11years_YouTube.webm (1920x1080) [33.9 MB] || IBEX11years.en_US.srt [5.8 KB] || IBEX11years.en_US.vtt [5.8 KB] ||

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  • 

    ID: 13527 Produced Video

    New Mission Will Take First Peek at Sun’s Poles

    Jan. 27th, 2020
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    A new spacecraft is journeying to the Sun to snap the first pictures of the Sun’s north and south poles. Solar Orbiter, a collaboration between ESA (the European Space Agency) and NASA will have its first opportunity to launch from Cape Canaveral on Feb. 7, 2020, at 11:15 p.m. EST. Launching on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, the spacecraft will use Venus’ and Earth’s gravity to swing itself out of the ecliptic plane — the swath of space, roughly aligned with the Sun’s equator, where all planets orbit. From there, Solar Orbiter's bird’s eye view will give it the first-ever look at the Sun's poles.Read more: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/new-mission-will-take-first-peek-at-sun-s-poles ||

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