The Sun

http://www.solarviews.com/cap/vss/VSS00031.htm

Structure of the Sun

• Core- center energy produced

• Radioactive Zone

• Convective Zone- gasses circulate

• Photosphere- visible part of the Sun

• Chromosphere

• Corona- outer atmosphere

The Sun’s Interior

• The Core: central region, 15 million degrees C

• The Radiation Zone: middle layer

• The Convection Zone: outer layer

The Sun’s Atmosphere

• Photosphere - the 5800 K layer we see.

• Chromosphere – a thin layer, a few 1000 km thick, at a temperature of about 10,000 K. Can be seen during solar eclipse. “Chromo” color in Latin

• Corona – Outermost layer, 1,000,000 km thick, at a temperature of about 1,000,000 K. “Crown” in Latin

Photosphere

Photosphere

Chromosphere

Corona

Features on the Sun

• Sunspots: areas of gas on the sun’s surface that are cooler than the gases surrounding them

• Prominences: huge, reddish loops of gas

• Solar Flares: loops that heat up and release magnetic energy

• Solar wind: a stream of electrically charged particles from the sun’s corona

Solar Flares

Sun Spots

Solar Flares

Coronal Mass Ejection

Fusion

Nuclear Fusion

• NF is the process which two or more low mass nuclei join together to form another nucleus

• 4 H fuse into 1 He• E=MC²• Energy produced in Sun’s core takes

millions of years to reach Sun’s surface• Energy from Sun (light) takes 8.3 minutes

to get to Earth

Star’s Life (review)