Alan wrote:
Perhaps this is off topic, but I was wondering if anyone else saw NOVA last
night. (11/18/03) The program was about the reversing of polarity of Earth
every few hundred thousand years. In the show, some of the scientists
referred to Earth as a dipole with a magnetic field that alternates.

They just mean a magnetic field with a 1-North and 2-South pole. Every magnet
has at least two poles. So far, to the best of my knowledge, nobody (on earth)
has detected a magnetic monopole (although such is predicted by some theories).
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp



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Finally. Someone answers the OP's question. "Di-Pole" two "poles".
Perhaps the OP was thinking of the fact that we all call a half wave, center
fed antenna a "dipole" and this is an electrical thing - whereas the NOVA
was talking only magnetic field (when referring to the "dipole" concept).
The term applies to either.
Steve, k,9,d,c,i,.


"Cecil Moore" wrote in message
...
Alan wrote:
Perhaps this is off topic, but I was wondering if anyone else saw NOVA
last
night. (11/18/03) .... Earth as a dipole with a magnetic field that
alternates.

They just mean a magnetic field with a 1-North and 2-South pole. Every
magnet
has at least two poles. So far, to the best of my knowledge, nobody (on
earth)
has detected a magnetic monopole (although such is predicted by some
theories).
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp



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