Stellar Switch: Sun not alone in making magnetic flip-flops

摘要

It's a topsy-turvy world out there and astronomers have new evidence to prove it. Researchers have for the first time documented that a star other than the sun flips its magnetic poles. The magnetic reversal observed on the nearby star tau Bootis may shed light on the origin of the sun's 11-year magnetic cycle, which can affect Earth's climate. The finding also highlights the role that massive, close-in planets may play in regulating a star's magnetic activity.