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Neptune and the Sun

14 May 2024
Astronomy, Electromagnetism, Geology, Plate Tectonics

At https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/neptunes-disappearing-clouds-linked-to-the-solar-cycle … This came from last year, 2023. Astronomers have said there is a link between Neptune’s shifting of cloud abundance and the eleven year solar cycle. Note – it doesn’t mention the solar wind or plasma but specifically, the role of the solar cycle. In this case, the point, mid cycle, in which the solar cycle flips its magnetic field. The suggestion seems to be that the Sun’s magnetic fields play a role throughout the solar system – as Neptune is way out. The claim is based on a 30 year study of Neptune as captured by NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. Neptune is in fact the furthest major planet in our system. Hence, planetary scientists were surprised at the link – Neptune’s global weather driven by the Sun.

It is the mid point of the eleven year cycle that is important – when the Sun’s magnetic field flips over. Solar cycle 25 has been a lot more active than the previous cycle, 24. This is reflected in the data from Hubble. The researchers suggest UV rays from the Sun trigger photochemical reactions that produce Neptune’s clouds. This, at the moment, is a tentative suggestion. It seems Neptune beams bright when clouds increase and is darker  when most of the clouds go away. Astronomers have been watching the change in brightness and found it tabulates with the solar cycle.

At https://phys.org/news/2024-05-nasa-chandra-galactic-center-venting.html … NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory has picked up a chimney of hot gas blowing away from the centre of the Milky Way. Eruptions from the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A, are suspected. They say it may have created the venting activiy. Probably had difficulty swallowing. Or chewing on whatever it was that gave it indigestion. Radio emissions detected by the MeerKAT radio telescope seem to show magnetic fields enclosing the gas of the chimney.

Over at https://phys.org/news/2024-05-dark-main-rival-theory-dead.html … we have the claim that dark matter’s rival theory is now dead. Are they over optimistic? Data from the Cassini spacecraft seems to invalidate MOND [Milgromian dynamics]. MOND says that gravity starts behaving differently when it becomes weaker – at the edge of galaxies. The Electric Universe people have an alternative view which makes both MOND and dark matter irrelevant.

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