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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 a High-Energy Astronomer
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 a High-Energy Astronomer team
Questions on this topic are no longer responded to by the "Ask a
High-Energy Astronomer" 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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