Earth's Rotational Axis as Related to the Sun

[SwampeastMike]

Does the earth's rotational axis ever pivot through a point where it is tangent to the surface of the sun?

[Sisyphus]

At the equinoxes, yes. Why?

[SwampeastMike]

Thank you. Yours is the reply that I expected given what I understand but was not certain where to ask such a specific question should my understanding be incorrect.

 

Why did I ask?

 

I am an observer seated normally--north is up--at the center of the sun and the only time that I "see" earth through my magnetic shield is when it appears as a line tangent through the center of my horizon (on our equinoxes).

 

As this observer, I am accustomed to being magnetically flipped in my chair on a regular basis and I can tell that this has occurred because two consecutive solstice views are identically averaged instead of progressing in the normal rotational vector with subsequent views through a reversed rotational vector.

 

In the very near future, will this tangent at the equinoxes also be perpendicular to this observer? Such would occur when the magnetic centers of rotation of the sun and the earth are parallel at the same time that the center of rotation of the earth is tangent to the surface of the sun.

 

Is this question as simple to answer as what I visualize during the precessionary cycle?

[Martin]

 

I am an observer seated normally--north is up--at the center of the sun and the only time that I "see" earth through my magnetic shield is when it appears as a line tangent through the center of my horizon (on our equinoxes).

 

As this observer, I am accustomed to being magnetically flipped in my chair on a regular basis ...

 

We have to distinguish between rotation-axis north, and magnetic north.

 

I think the sun has a fairly well defined rotation axis, so when you said you were sitting in center of sun in normal position, head pointing north, I thought you meant head along the rotation axis north.

 

but then you said you get flipped periodically! Then I was confused about what you meant. You must mean magnetic field north.

 

If you want, explain some more (this will help me and perhaps others get what you are talking about)

[J.C.MacSwell]

At the equinoxes, yes. Why?

 

The rotational axis of Earth would be at right angles to a line between the Earth and Sun at those points, but not tangent to the surface of the Sun.

[SwampeastMike]

We have to distinguish between rotation-axis north, and magnetic north.

 

I think the sun has a fairly well defined rotation axis, so when you said you were sitting in center of sun in normal position, head pointing north, I thought you meant head along the rotation axis north.

 

but then you said you get flipped periodically! Then I was confused about what you meant. You must mean magnetic field north.

 

If you want, explain some more (this will help me and perhaps others get what you are talking about)

 

The observer being described seated at the center of the sun is aligned with the magnetic axis of the sun and sees the magnetic axis of the earth as a line when the earths is tangent to the point on the surface of the sun in a line between the physical centers of the earth and sun.

 

I do not know the plot of the magnetic axis of the sun as compared to the rotational axis, but I do know that it regularly flips poles with the sunspot cycle doubled--like both the up and down sides of a sine wave.

 

This is why I said that the observer was "accustomed to flipping".

 

The observer is unaware of the N-S orientation of earth's magnetic field nor is he aware that his magnetic poles have made a relative flip. He only becomes aware of the flip when the line he sees twice per year stops progressing in the ordinary manner and later reverses direction.

 

Would the line ever appear vertical to this observer?

 

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The observer can see other events should they occur:

 

Should the magnetic axes be perpendicular instead of parallel, a point would be seen.

 

If the observer shifts poles while the axes are tangent (his eyes are open while his chair flips), the ordinary linear view assumes additional dimension. Were the previous linear view other than vertical, he would see black vee shapes both above and below his horizon (tangent) point with all else light dimmed somewhat from the normal line.

 

Should the line be vertical when the observer's chair flips, he would see some light everywhere with the normally black horizon line a touch dimmer than average and the vertical tangent line a touch brighter than average.

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Merged post follows:

Consecutive posts merged

The rotational axis of Earth would be at right angles to a line between the Earth and Sun at those points, but not tangent to the surface of the Sun.

 

Any right angle to a line drawn between the center of two circles is tangent to the surface of both no matter the diameter of either.

[GDG]

Any right angle to a line drawn between the center of two circles is tangent to the surface of both no matter the diameter of either.

 

No, most of those lines will only be parallel to a tangent. A "tangent" to a circle must contact the circle at one (and only one) point. Uranus is the only planet for which this is possible.

[J.C.MacSwell]

 

 

Any right angle to a line drawn between the center of two circles is tangent to the surface of both no matter the diameter of either.

 

If you use that definition (which is not correct), any straight line drawn anywhere (or it's extensions) would be tangent to the surface of the Sun, since it would have one point (the closest point to the Sun) that could have a line drawn perpendicular to it that aimed directly at the Sun and of course you could then add a circle somewhere as needed to meet that definition.

 

Of course that is not the definition of tangent (see GDG's post above). Every straight line everywhere is parallel to some tangent line that contacts a point on the Sun's surface since that there could be one drawn in any direction.(actually there could be two drawn in any direction)

Edited April 30, 2009 by J.C.MacSwell