News > Sun's magnetic field may originate closer to solar surface: Study

Sun's magnetic field may originate closer to solar surface: Study

The sun’s outer 30% is comprised of an “ocean” of churning gases plunging more than 130,000 miles (210,000 km) below the solar surface. The research, comparing new theoretical models to observations by the sun-observing SOHO spacecraft, provides strong evidence that its magnetic field is generated near the top of this ocean – less than 5% inward, or about 20,000 miles (32,000 km) – rather than near the bottom, as long hypothesised.