NASA Spacecraft Finds the Sun is Not a Perfect Sphere

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists using NASA’s RHESSI spacecraft have measured the roundness of the sun with unprecedented precision. They find that it is not a perfect sphere. During years of high solar activity the sun develops a thin “cantaloupe skin” that significantly increases its apparent oblateness: the sun’s equatorial radius becomes slightly larger than its polar radius. Their results appear the Oct. 2nd edition of Science Express.

If you want to include this story in your blog, copy and paste this formatted text:

<p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news142177077.html">NASA Spacecraft Finds the Sun is Not a Perfect Sphere</a></p> <p>(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists using NASA’s RHESSI spacecraft have measured the roundness of the sun with unprecedented precision. They find that it is not a perfect sphere. During years of high solar activity the sun develops a thin “cantaloupe skin” that significantly increases its apparent oblateness: the sun’s equatorial radius becomes slightly larger than its polar radius. Their results appear the Oct. 2nd edition of Science Express.</p>