Our Almost Perfectly Spherical Sun
It was always thought that the sun’s oblateness due to rotation would vary as the distribution of mass changed under the surface of the sun and as sunspots came and went. However, new research may have proven this theory wrong.
A team measured the sun over two years using the Solar Dynamics Observatory and they observed no change in the sun’s oblateness in correlation with the solar cycle.
They found that if you were to shrink the sun to the size of a beach ball, the oblateness would amount to around a human hair. This almost perfect sphericality means researchers will have to rethink their theories and models surrounding the sun’s internal structure. (x)
(Source: throughascientificlens)
