This image shows the magnetic field polarity that Ulysses measured while travelling from the South pole to the North pole of the Sun. The measurements have been mapped onto a sphere corresponding to appropriate solar latitudes and longitudes. Blue values represent regions where the magnetic field pointed toward the Sun, red where it pointed away. The North and South pole switch magnetic direction or polarity every 11 years. This reversal follows the sun spot cycle and is thought to be due to dynamo processes occuring in the solar interior.
Green lines represent the boundaries between the two hemispheres.
Agreement between actual measurements and predicted models is good, though some discrepancies exist. Work is ongoing on this topic. All Rights Reserved.