Download OUR SUN

OUR SUN
Solar telescope
FUSION
Need very high
temperatures
H + H → He + energy
Energy= heat
– Light
– EM radiation
Compositon of the Sun
90% H & 10% He
Plasma- gas stripped of electrons
Sun Layers
core
Where Fusion is
taking place
15 million ºC
Radiative Zone
EM radiation is
traveling through
this zone
2.5 million ºC
CONVECTIVE ZONE
Convection
currents
Hot gases rise to
surface, cooler
gases sink=
turbulance
Photosphere
Sun’s surface
Bubbling plasma
Only 6,000 ºC!
chromosphere
Sun’s atmosphere
20,000 C
Source of
flares/prominences
chromosphere
CORONA
“Crown”
See only during
solar eclipses
2 million C
Made of ions
Journey from the center of the
sun
SUNSPOTS
Cool spots on sun
Caused by twisting
of magnetic field?
Oct. 17, 2012
Main sequence star
How long is a sunspot cycle?
11 year sunspot cycle
Cycle number
Solar prominences
(filaments)
Follows magnetic
force of sunspots
Can last for weeks
to a year
harmless
Solar flares
Violent eruption
Last for minutes
Can damage
satellites
Can reach Earthohoh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R
4fX-iFDoDY
Coronal Mass Ejections
Produced in corona
Large storms
Can cause power
outages, satellite
damage and
auroras
Solar wind
Ions are so hot,
gravity can’t hold
them onto the sun
400 km/sec (1
million mph)
Today:
speed: 449.5
km/sec
AURORAS
(Northern lights)
caused when Suns’ ions enter
Earth’s atm.
Auroras from space
Solar activity
SpaceWeather.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n
mDZhQAIeXM&safety_mode=true&p
ersist_safety_mode=1&safe=active