Fact Sheet
Reversed Polarity
It doesn't look like much, but a small sunspot in the Sun's northern hemisphere earlier this year heralded the beginning of a new 11-year magnetic solar cycle. The spot's magnetic field was the opposite of those of previous spots, which is the first indication of a new cycle. However, other spots on the Sun at the same time exhibited the polarity of the previous cycle. It all means that the Sun was undergoing a transition phase as it heads toward the next peak in magnetic activity around 2012. These images are from the orbiting SOHO solar observatory, and show visible light at left and the Sun's magnetic field at right. [NASA/SOHO]
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