Slocum.CSCDA@HI-MULTICS.ARPA (Brett Slocum) (02/25/86)
If you take Earth as an example, the rotational North pole and the pole above the plane of the planet's orbit are both the same: the North Pole. It is interesting to note that the North magnetic pole is at the South rotational pole. As one submitter reported, this orientation switches from time to time. In fact, if you look at ocean floor material near the mid-Atlantic ridge, you find alternating bands of magnetic polarization. There is one theory of periodic species extinction that says polarity switches bring on the next round of extinctions. This is a theory for mass extinctions in addition to extra-terrestrial bombardment. Brett Slocum <Slocum.CSCDA\@HI-MULTICS.ARPA>