The SunThe Sun
The SunThe Sun• Aton, Apollo, Helios, and Sol
• “life giving gods”
Fusion!Fusion!• Hydrogen into
helium
• Ball of gas
• Enormous mass
• 109 Earth’s lined up to span the Sun’s surface!
• *Med sized• Med- hot• Mid life
Sun’s LayersSun’s LayersCore- 7% of volume – 15 mill degrees!
• “Engine room” of the Sun
• *Photosphere- visible surface
• Hot, thin layer
• 250 miles thick
• Cooled to 11,000 degrees
Sun’s LayersSun’s Layers• Chromosphere- “color ball”
• Only visible during a solar eclipse
• *Corona- suns outer atmosphere
• Only visible during a solar eclipse• 2 mill degrees• X-rays • Jagged white halo
ChromosphereChromosphere
CoronaCorona
Features of the SunFeatures of the Sun
SunspotsSunspots• Dark spots on the sun; cool
blotches 3,600 degrees
• First recorded in 800 B.C. in China
• Size of the EARTH !
• Appear in groups of two or more
SunspotsSunspots • 11 year
cycle
• Rotate around the sun
Solar FlaresSolar Flares• Violent explosions of light, gases,
radiation and other materials
• Can release enough energy to sustain the world for 100,000 years!
• Short lived; come and go
ProminencesProminences• Fiery arches of ionized gases
• Last for weeks/months
• Supported/twisted by magnetic fields near sunspots
Effect on the EarthEffect on the Earth• Flare gamma rays, X rays, and
UV rays can reach the Earth in 8 min
• Particles take hours/days
• Our magnetic field and atmosphere protect us
AurorasAuroras• Often
occur 2 days after solar flare activity
• Solar flare activity can affect compasses
• Surges in phone lines and blackouts!
• In 1979 US Skylab was destroyed upon entry back into the atmosphere
Solar WindSolar Wind• Closely monitored
• Average wind speed of 1 mill miles per second!
• Stream of electrically charged particles continually flowing from the sun
• Faster, thinner, and hotter than any wind on Earth!
• Tend to occur during high solar flare and sunspot activity
• Originates from holes in the corona
Future of the SunFuture of the Sun•The sun is growing hotter and brighter as H is consumed
5 billion years from now5 billion years from now
• The Sun will turn into a Red giant
And then consume And then consume mercurymercury
The sun…The sun…• Will pulsate
• Will throw off layers
• The hot core will remain and then eventually cool off and slowly…fade…away…