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The Sun Notes
Layers of the Sun
 Sun’s ________________
 ____________ – where hydrogen fusion happens.
 _____________________ – energy carried toward surface by radiation (as light).
 _____________________ – energy carried toward surface by convection (as heat).
 Sun’s _______________________
 ___________________ – lowest layer – emits visible light – what we see.
 ___________________ – middle layer – transparent.
 ___________________ – upper layer – transparent.
The bright visible surface of the Sun is called the __________________.
 When looking at the Sun, the edges appear orange and darker than the central yellow region. This is known as
_____________________.
 Upon closer inspection, the Sun has a marbled pattern called ______________, caused by the convection of
gases just beneath the photosphere.
 During an eclipse, sometimes you can see the layers of the Sun’s atmosphere just above the photosphere, which
emits only certain wavelengths of light, resulting in a ________________ appearance. We call this the sphere of
color, or ___________________.
 The solar chromosphere is characterized by jets of gas extending upward called ________________.
THE SOLAR CORONA – source of the Solar Wind
Seen in visible light during an eclipse.
This x-ray image shows the million-degree gases.
The Sun undergoes differential rotation.
The rotation period of the Sun’s gases varies from _______ days in the equatorial region to _____ days near the solar
poles.
Therefore, the magnetic field lines of the Sun become intertwined after several rotations, creating regions of intense
magnetic fields and thus producing sunspots and other spectacular features.
The Sun’s Magnetic Field Creates Different Features
 ________________ – areas of concentrated magnetic field lines.
 ________________ – magnetic loops above sunspots, can carry plasma (hot ionized gas).
 ________________ – twisted magnetic field lines relax and release huge amounts of X-rays.
 ________________ – twisted magnetic field lines relax and release huge amounts of plasma (up to 4 million
mph).
Sunspots
Sunspots have two regions: the inner, darker ___________ and the outer ________________.
Sunspots are regions of intense magnetic fields
The number of sunspots on the photosphere varies over an eleven-year cycle.
Sunspots can be used to determine the _______________________________.
Vital information about Sunspots
 Areas of reduced __________________
 Visible from Earth
 _________________ Amount of Magnetic Activity
 Can affect __________________ due to the amount of geomagnetism produced.
 Ionized gases trapped by magnetic fields form prominences that arc far above the solar surface.
 Sometimes these gases are ejected into space.
Solar prominences
 _______________________
 Relatively cool clouds of gas suspended above the sun
 Controlled by _____________________________
Violent eruptions called solar flares release huge amounts of X-rays. Solar flares are often associated with coronal mass
ejections.
On the sun, coronal mass ejections occur when solar magnetic field lines snake around each other, forming the letter
"S". Usually, they go past each other. But if they connect, it's like a short circuit. The mid-section breaks loose and drives
out a coronal mass ejection.
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) typically expel ____ trillion tons of plasma at up to _____ million mph.
By following the trails of gases released during a coronal mass ejection, we can map the Sun’s magnetic field.
Solar flares
 Exploding areas on the sun
 Releases huge amounts of __________________
 Magnetic field and atmosphere protect Earth from harmful effects
 _________________________________________________
 Cause ______________________________ (Northern Lights)
Let’s Review Fusion!!
 Hydrogen is the fuel!!!
 Nuclei fuse to form Helium and energy as a product
 Extreme temperatures are required for fusion to occur due to the repulsive forces of the nuclei (nuclei are
positively charged)
 The sun is stable because the force of gravity is balanced by the thermal pressure created by the reactions in the
core
The Sun is powered by ______________________________________________, which converts hydrogen into helium.
Matter gets turned into energy in the process.
E = mc2
The Sun’s interior is held stable by a balance between radiation pressure forces and gravity, in a condition called
hydrostatic equilibrium.
Lifespan of the Sun
 Our sun is a less massive star and will end as a ________________________.
 We are currently ____________ billion years into its lifespan
Two (2) Hydrogen atoms fuse to make One (1) Helium atom theoretically but…
Energy is released as atoms fuse and thus mass is lost as energy
It actually takes 4 Hydrogen atoms to make 1 Helium atom