This drawing shows the difference between a dipole and a magnetosphere.
Click on image for full size
Image from the AGU Educator's Slide set. Image copyright 1997 by the American Geophysical Union. Further electronic distribution is not allowed.
Click on image for full size
Image from the AGU Educator's Slide set. Image copyright 1997 by the American Geophysical Union. Further electronic distribution is not allowed.
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A Planetary Magnetosphere
A planetary magnetosphere is different from an ordinary dipole. The force of the solar wind, coming from the sun stretches the dipole and creates a nose region in the front of the magnetosphere (facing the sun), and a tail region in the back called a magnetotail.
If it weren't for the solar wind, the field lines of the planetary magnetic field would extend into infinity. But because the solar wind and IMF press upon a planet's magnetic field, and enclose it, the magnetic field is contained within a "cavity" called the magnetosphere. This magnetosphere naturally has a boundary and that boundary is called the magnetopause. The magnetopause can be considered to be the end of a planet's region of influence.
Last modified June 23, 2010 by Randy Russell.
