Download The Universe Series: Secrets of the Sun Video Guide

Astronomy
Name _________KEY_________
The Universe Series: Secrets of the Sun Video Guide
1. Write 5 facts (surface temp, color, size, etc) about the Sun. Note—You can fill these facts
in at any time during the video.
a. Surface temp = 10,000 F (6000 C)
b. Core Temp = 27,000,000 F (15,000,000 C)
c. Yellow Dwarf
d. Sunspots are COOLER than photosphere, called “plasma craters”
e. Galileo saw Sun’s rotation first
2. The Sun gets its energy through _FUSION____ of ___HYDROGEN___.
3. How long does it take light from the Sun to reach Earth? __8 MINUTES____
4. What evidence is there that the Sun was made from the “ashes” of another star?
PRESENCE OF HEAVY ELEMENTS LIKE URANIUM IN EARTH
5. Twisting magnetic fields may cause solar __FLARES___ that release up to a billion
megatons of energy at one time.
6. The video described two other phenomena that solar flares can cause on the surface of the
Sun. Both are similar to disastrous phenomena on Earth. WHAT ARE THEY?
SUNQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS
7. How did the video describe CME’s? Hint: give size and speed.
SIZE OF MT. EVEREST, TRAVELING AT 800-900 MILES PER SECOND
8. Name two problems CME’s can give us. Describe a way to protect from them.
SATELLITE FAILURES; POWER TRANSFORMER BURNOUTS; GO INTO SAFE MODE
9. Name a color seen in the aurora caused by the nitrogen in our atmosphere. PINK,
VIOLETS, OR BLUES_
10. What do YOU think might happen today if a perfect solar storm like the one in 1859 hit
Earth today?
CHAOS DUE MASSIVE POWER FAILURES, CELL PHONE/TV/NAVIGATION
FAILURES
11. What explanation does the video give for why the solar corona is so HOT?
SOUND ENERGY COMBINED WITH ENERGY FROM MAGNETIC FIELD
SUPERHEATS THE CORONA
12. Although there is a total solar eclipse somewhere every 1-1/2 years, it will only be visible
once every ___300_ years for any one particular spot.
13. Describe the end of the Sun. Include when this may happen. EXPAND INTO A RED
GIANT, EVENTUALLY END AS WHITE DWARF