Download Section 2 - Florida Union Free School District / Overview

The Sun is a huge ball of gas that makes
energy by fusing hydrogen into helium
 Photosphere-often called the surface of
the sun. Temp is about 6000K
 Above photosphere is the chromosphere
 Corona is outermost layer. Largest layer,
temps are as high as 2 million K

Sunspots – appear dark because they
are cooler than other areas
 Sunspots prove that the sun rotates
 Sunspots are not permanent features

Prominences are huge, arching columns
of gas that can blast materials into
space
 Solar flares come from sun spots that
shoot outward suddenly

Our sun is middle aged
 Many stars orbit each other in a binary or
triple star system. Our system has only
one star
 Some stars move through space as a
cluster of stars
