In a rotating solid body, regions that are adjacent at one point in time will remain adjacent as the body rotates. This means that points further from the rotation centre will travel at greater speeds than those closer in. If the rotating body is not solid, however, regions that are adjacent at one point in time do not necessarily maintain that configuration. This is known as 'differential rotation'.
Examples of differential rotation are found throughout astronomy. In stars (including the Sun) and the gas giant planets, the equatorial regions rotate faster than regions closer to the poles, meaning that equatorial sunspots and cloud formations will move across the face of the object faster than their polar cousins.In the Solar System, the outer objects feel less of a gravitational pull from the Sun. They must therefore orbit at slower speeds than the inner objects in order to maintain their orbital radius. This is known as Keplerian Rotation and results in the inner objects overtaking and racing ahead of the outer objects.In the disks of spiral galaxies, all of the material orbits at roughly the same speed. However, the outer stars have further to travel in their orbit around the galactic centre than the inner stars. The result is that the outer stars lag behind the stars in the inner reaches of the galaxy.All objects in the disk of a spiral galaxy are moving at roughly the same orbital speed. Since the outer objects have further to travel in their orbits than the inner ones, they lag behind.
Mercury has a oval rotation because of the suns gravity
magnetic fields
The weird thing about the Sun's rotation - as compared to Earth's rotation - is precisely that it is a differential rotation. That means that at the equator, the Sun rotates faster than near the poles. There is some recent evidence that the inner and outer cores of Earth do indeed spin at different rates and at different rates compared with the rest of the planet.
Wherever you want it to be. There is no start/stop button on the Sun.
Different layers rotate at different speeds. See related question.
Strangely, the Suns has a differential rotation. At the equator, it takes 25 days for one rotation; near the poles, 34 days.
25 days
Mercury has a oval rotation because of the suns gravity
25 days for a rotation at the equator, 34 days for a rotation near the poles.
Approximately 24.47 days
magnetic fields
differential rotations
The weird thing about the Sun's rotation - as compared to Earth's rotation - is precisely that it is a differential rotation. That means that at the equator, the Sun rotates faster than near the poles. There is some recent evidence that the inner and outer cores of Earth do indeed spin at different rates and at different rates compared with the rest of the planet.
Wherever you want it to be. There is no start/stop button on the Sun.
The differential, often referred to as the "rear", is the gear housing which transmits the rotation of the driveshaft to the rear wheels. A four-wheel drive truck also has a differential for the front wheels.
Different layers rotate at different speeds. See related question.
the winding of magnetic field lines due to differential rotation