Editing Magnetopause (section)

==Solar System magnetopauses==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Overview of the Solar System magnetopauses<ref>{{cite book|title='Planetary Magnetospheres,' in The Encyclopedia of the Solar System|date=2006|publisher=[[Academic Press]]|isbn=978-0-12-088589-3|author=M. K. Kivelson|edition=2nd|author2=F. Bagenal|editor=P. Weissman|editor2=L.-A. McFadden|editor3=T. Johnson|page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofso0000unse_u6d1/page/477 477]|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofso0000unse_u6d1/page/477}}</ref> 
|-
! Planet!! Number !! Magnetic moment <ref group="note">compared to Earth's magnetic moment (7.906 x 10<sup>31</sup> gauss m<sup>3</sup>)</ref>!! Magnetopause distance <ref group="note">typical distance between magnetopause and magnetosphere in planet radii</ref>!! Observed size of the [[magnetosphere]]<ref group="note">in planet radii</ref>|| variance of [[magnetosphere]]<ref group="note">in planet radii, the [[magnetosphere]] varies mainly in response to solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field orientation</ref>
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Image:Mercury symbol (fixed width).svg|25px|Mercury]] [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]] }} ||1||0.0004  || 1.5 || 1.4||0
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Image:Venus symbol (fixed width).svg|25px|Venus]] [[Venus]]}} ||2|| 0 || 0|| 0||0
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Image:Earth symbol (fixed width).svg|25px|Earth]] Earth}} ||3|| 1 || 10 || 10||2
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Image:Mars symbol (fixed width).svg|25px|Mars]] [[Mars]]}} ||4|| 0 || 0 || 0||0
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Image:Jupiter symbol (fixed width).svg|25px|Jupiter]] [[Jupiter]]}} ||5|| 20000 || 42 || 75||25
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Image:Saturn symbol (fixed width).svg|25px|Saturn]] [[Saturn]]}} ||6|| 600 || 19|| 19||3
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| {{nowrap|[[Image:Uranus symbol (fixed width).svg|25px|Uranus]] [[Uranus]]}} ||7|| 50 || 25 || 18||0
|-
| {{nowrap|[[Image:Neptune symbol (fixed width).svg|25px|Neptune]] [[Neptune]]}} ||8|| 25 || 24 || 24.5||1.5
|}

Research on the magnetopause is conducted using the LMN coordinate system (which is set of axes like XYZ). N points normal to the magnetopause outward to the magnetosheath, L lies along the projection of the dipole axis onto the magnetopause (positive northward), and M completes the triad by pointing dawnward.

Venus and Mars do not have a planetary magnetic field and do not have a magnetopause.  The solar wind interacts with the planet's atmosphere<ref>{{cite book|title=Venus and Mars: Atmospheres, Ionospheres and Solar Wind Interactions, Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 66|date=1992|publisher=Am. Geophys. Union|location=Washington, DC|isbn=978-0-87590-032-2|pages=448|editor1=J. Luhmann |editor2=M. Tatrallyay |editor3=R. Pepin }}</ref>  and a void is created behind the planet.  In the case of the Earth's moon and other bodies without a magnetic field or atmosphere, the body's surface interacts with the solar wind and a void is created behind the body.