Download The Sun Video Focus Questions

Answers:
1. The sun is the largest body in our solar system, and it makes up about 99% of the solar
system (more than all the other planets, comets, and asteroids combined.)
2. It takes the Earth 365 days to orbit the sun.
3. Copernicus and Galileo changed the way we view the universe today by proving the
heliocentric model of our universe. Until then, people believed that everything
revolved around the earth.
4. There are billions of stars in the Milky Way.
5. The sun is 93 million miles from Earth.
6. The next closest star to Earth is 25 trillion miles away.
7. All stars in the universe are comprised of dust and hydrogen gas.
8. Our sun is just a medium sized star compared to other stars.
9. The sun and other stars in the universe are thought to have formed from a swirling
nebula of gas and dust that compacted together into a single body.
10. When the hydrogen atoms collide and fuse together (fusion), it releases tremendous
amounts of heat and light energy, causing the sun to shine.
11. The sun releases the following types of energy waves:
a. Radio waves
b. Visible light waves
c. Microwaves
d. Infrared waves
e. Gamma rays
f. X-rays
g. Ultraviolet waves
12. A main sequence star is one that is stable, has plenty of hydrogen fuel left to burn, and
is in the middle of its life cycle.
13. The sun has been shining for about 5 billion years and should continue to shine for
another 5 billion years.
14. When our sun begins to run out of hydrogen fuel (in about 5 billion years) it will first
begin to expand and become much larger. It will also not look yellow, but will be more
of a red or orange color. This stage is known as the Red Giant phase. Next, when the
sun completely runs out of hydrogen, it will shrink down to about half the size of our
moon (gravity will make it collapse), but will still give off a white glow. This is known
as the White Dwarf phase. Finally, the sun will cool into a dark, dead star.
15. Nuclear fusion takes place in the core of the sun. (The sun has four layers: the core,
the photosphere, the chromosphere, and the corona.)
16. This area (the core) is about 15 million degrees C or 27 million degrees F.
17. The only area of the sun that is seen from earth is the photosphere.
18. Most solar storms take place in the photosphere.
19. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon travels directly between the earth and sun (they
all line up). Since it is so much closer to Earth than the sun, the moon blocks out the
sun for a brief period of time.
20. During a total eclipse of the sun, the only layer of the sun visible on Earth is the
corona.
21. Sunspots are cooler, darker areas on the sun where the sun’s magnetic field has been
twisted or disrupted. Times of high sunspot activity can affect us here on Earth because
the sunspots may cause more electromagnetic waves to be sent to Earth causing
disruptions in power grids, cell phones, radio waves, communications systems, or even
GPS accuracy.
22. The aurora is caused by particles from the sun entering Earth’s atmosphere and
beginning to glow.
23. A solar prominence is a violent storm on the sun’s surface that causes huge loops of fire
to extend far out above the sun. It may last for months before the loops begin to
disintegrate.
24. Solar wind is a stream of fast moving particles that scream from the sun in all
directions. Solar wind is faster at the poles than at the equator because the gas at the
equator is much more dense (thicker) and traps the particles.
25. NASA uses space probes, space telescopes, and instruments here on Earth to gather
information about the sun.
26. Solar astronomers study the sun by studying the magnetic field of the sun through
instruments that detect the amount and kind of light and magnetism from the sun to
see how twisted and active the sun’s magnetic field is.
27. Earth’s water cycle is directly influenced by the sun because the heat energy from the
sun causes the water in oceans, rivers, lakes, etc to evaporate, which begins the cycle of
evaporation, condensation, precipitation.
28. The tilt of the Earth on its axis causes part of the earth to get either more or less direct
sunlight. During winter, the tilt of the earth causes the area to get less sunlight and
during summer it causes the area to get more sunlight.
29. Without the sun providing the earth with warmth and light, no life would be able to
exist. The sun is responsible for all life.
The Sun Video Focus Questions
Answer these questions as you view the video.
1. The Sun makes up ________% of the solar system.
2. It takes Earth ___________days to orbit the sun.
3. Copernicus and Galileo change the way we view the universe today by
______________________________________________________.
4. There are ____________________ of stars in the Milky Way.
5. The Sun is ________________________ miles from Earth.
6. The next closest star is _________________________ miles from Earth.
7. All stars in the universe are made of _________ and _____________.
8. Compared to other stars in the universe, our Sun is a __________-sized star.
9. Our Sun was formed by _______________________________________
_______________________________________________________.
10. Nuclear fusion causes the Sun to shine because _______________________
_______________________________________________________.
11. The Sun releases these types of waves:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
12. A main sequence star is in the ________ of its life and has ___________ of
hydrogen gas to burn.
13. The Sun should shine for about ____________ more years.
14. When our sun begins to run out of hydrogen fuel (in about 5 billion years) it will first
begin to _______________. It will also not look yellow, but will be more of a
_______________ color. This stage is known as the ____________ phase. Next,
when the sun completely runs out of ______________, it will shrink down to about
____________________ (gravity will make it collapse), but will still give off a
_____________ glow. This is known as the _______________ phase. Finally, the
sun will cool into a dark__________.
15. Nuclear fusion takes place in the ______________ of the Sun.
16. This area is about ______________ degrees Celsius or _____________ degrees
Fahrenheit.
17. The only area of the Sun that can be seen from Earth is the _______________.
18. Many solar storms take place in the _________________________.
19. A ___________ eclipse occurs when the __________ travels directly between the
_________ and __________ (they all line up). Since it is so much __________ to
Earth than the Sun, the moon ________________ the sun for a brief period of
time.
20. During a total solar eclipse, the ______________ is the only layer of the Sun visible
on Earth.
21. ________________ are cooler, darker areas on the sun where the sun’s
_______________________ has been twisted or disrupted. Times of high sunspot
____________ can affect us here on Earth, because the sunspots may cause more
_______________________ waves to be sent to Earth causing disruptions in
__________ grids, cell phones, radio waves, communications systems, or even
__________ accuracy.
22. The aurora, or _____________ and _____________ lights, is caused by particles
from the sun entering Earth’s atmosphere and beginning to ________.
23. A solar _______________ is a violent storm on the sun’s surface that causes huge
loops of fire to extend far out above the sun. It may last for __________ before the
loops begin to disintegrate.
24. _______________ is a stream of fast moving particles that scream from the sun in
all directions. __________ is faster at the ______________ than at the equator
because the gas at the equator is much more ___________ and traps the particles.
25. NASA uses space __________, space telescopes, and instruments on Earth to gather
information about _________________.
26. Solar _______________ study the sun by studying the magnetic field of the sun
through instruments that detect the amount and kind of light and
_____________from the sun to see how twisted and ______________ the sun’s
magnetic field is.
27. Earth’s ________________ cycle is directly influenced by the sun because the heat
energy from the sun causes the water in oceans, ___________, lakes, etc to
_______________, which begins the cycle of evaporation, _____________,
precipitation.?
28. The tilt of the Earth on its axis causes part of the earth to get either ___________ or
__________ direct sunlight. During ____________, the tilt of the earth causes the
area to get less sunlight and during ____________ it causes the area to get more
sunlight.
29. Without the sun providing the earth with ___________ and __________, no life
would be able to exist. The sun is responsible for all ______________.