Solar rotation

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/solar-rotation

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the rotation period (equator)?Approximately 25.03 Earth days (sidereal rotation)
2. What is the rotation period (poles)?Approximately 34.3 Earth days (sidereal rotation)
3. What is solar differential rotation?The Sun spins like a top, but different parts spin at different speeds. The equator turns every 25 days, while the poles take about 35 days.
4. Why does the Sun spin faster at the equator than at the poles?Hot plasma rises at the equator and cooler plasma sinks at the poles. The Sun’s rotation pushes this plasma sideways, making the equator spin faster.

Plasma: An ionized gas consisting of ions and free electrons, forming the Sun's primary constituent.
Differential Rotation: The phenomenon where different parts of a celestial body rotate at different angular velocities.
Solar Dynamo: A theoretical process within the Sun that generates its magnetic field through the motion of conductive plasma.
Helioseismology: The study of the Sun's interior by analyzing the propagation of sound waves through its structure.