Heliosphere
The Parker Spiral
The spiral shape the Sun's magnetic field takes as it is carried outward by the solar wind while the Sun rotates, like water from a spinning sprinkler. Predicted by Eugene Parker in 1958 and since confirmed by spacecraft, the Parker spiral sets the geometry of the interplanetary magnetic field and how solar storms reach the planets.
Highlights
- ›Parker's 1958 spiral — the shape of the interplanetary field
The Sun, its layers & phenomena
Across solar physics
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Fast Solar Wind
- Associated withThe Slow Solar Wind
- Associated withThe Sun
- Associated withSolar Wind
- Associated withParker Solar Probe
- Associated withThe Fast Solar Wind
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.