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The Question
(Submitted February 10, 1997)
I would like to know if there is any evidence for counter clock wise
rotation of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). Tried a few other sources, some asked what's the
SAA? Never heard of it. Assumed if anyone would know it would be your
outfit.
The Answer
This question is a good one for the Imagine the Universe! Ask an Astrophysicist
service. Part of our job is to create observation schedules
for the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. To do this, we have to model the
location of the SAA. So I must say that you've come to the right place !
The South Atlantic Anomaly does not rotate. It changes its
size (both in height above the earth and extent in latitude and
longitude) due to a number of factors, with the primary one being
solar activity. But there is no rotation to it.
Jim Lochner
for the Ask an Astrophysicist team
Questions on this topic are no longer responded to by the "Ask an Astrophysicist" service. See http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/ask_an_astronomer.html
for help on other astronomy Q&A services.
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