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The Sun. The Solar Interior. Core Radiation Zone Convection Zone. The Core. Innermost Layer Hottest Layer…… 14,000,000 degrees Celsius Sun’s Energy Is Produced Here……… By Nuclear Fusion :.
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The Solar Interior • Core • Radiation Zone • Convection Zone
The Core • Innermost Layer • Hottest Layer…… 14,000,000 degrees Celsius • Sun’s Energy Is Produced Here……… By Nuclear Fusion: Hydrogen + Hydrogen ----> Helium + ENERGY
The Radiation Zone • Energy travels via waves through this region. • Here, energy is radiated from the core much like a space heater radiates heat through the air. • Temperatures range from 4,500,0000C to 8,100,0000C
The Convection Zone • 2,000,0000C • Energy produced in the core rises towards the surface via………. convection currents Toward Surface Cooler Gases Sink Hotter Gases Rise Toward Core
The Sun’s Surface • Photosphere: This the “disk” you see when you look at a picture of the sun:
Photosphere (cont.) • Only5,700 – 10,300 0C ……..…How cool is that? • Granular appearance: Due to convection from underneath. • Sunspots: Magnetic storms that appear as dark patches. (Very Cool) Seem to peak in 8-11 year cycles. • Flares and Prominences:Eruptions of plasma from surface. • Sometimes they affect earth’s atmosphere producing auroras and may interfere with satellite/radio communications.
The Solar Atmosphere • Chromosphere- A very thin reddish ring (2,500 km) as seen just prior to and after the peak of a totalsolar eclipse. • Corona- Extremely high temperatures (millions of degrees Celsius) - Emits high energy radiation. - Produces both white and red light. These regions of the sun can only be observed during a total solar eclipse
White Corona Red Corona
Solar Eclipse • Occurs when: • Moon is located between sun and earth. • Moon casts its shadow on the earth. • Due to the moon’s cone-shaped shadow, a total solar eclipse can only be seen in limited areas.
When viewed within the: Umbra- you see a total solar eclipse. Penumbra- you see a partial solar eclipse.
Diameter: 1.4 million km (870,000 miles)Age: 4.5 billion yearsMass: 330,000 x EarthDistance from Earth: 149.6 million km (93 million miles)Density: 1.41 (water=1)Distance to Nearest Star: 9.46 million million kmSolar Wind Speed: 3 million km/hr.Luminosity: 390 billion billion megawattsSolar Cycle: 8 - 11 yearsTemperature at surface: 5,500o C (9,932o F)Temperature at Core: 14 milliono C (22.5 milliono F) Temperature of Sunspots: 4,000o C (7,232o F)Rotation Period at Equator: 25 Earth daysRotation Period at Poles: 35 Earth days SolarFacts