The Sun rotates
faster at its Equator than its Poles
In the early
17th century, Galileo used sunspots to determine that the Sun rotates in about 27 days. We now
know that the Sun is not a solid body. Its equatorial
rotation period rate is about
25 days, while the polar period
is about 35 days.
Color code:
Red is faster, blue is slower.
Helioseismology
tell us that
this
“differential rotation” extends far
below the surface.
