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The Sun
Average Main Sequence Star/Yellow dwarf
(Sol/Sun)
Our sun is not large enough to
supernova and make a black hole
Half the
hydrogen
No more
hydrogen
Sun
• Considered a medium star
• Yellow dwarf/Average Main
Sequence Star
• 93,000,000 miles away from Earth
• 1.39 million kilometers in
diameter (
• one million Earths can fit inside
• State of matter – plasma.
– e- taken off of the atom
– Ions
– Same as lightning!
More on the Sun
• Contains 99% of
mass of our solar
system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• 82% hydrogen
• 17% helium
• 1% other elements
Each element has its own
spectrum!
The sun’s structure
• Core – 15 million degrees Celsius, where
thermonuclear fusion occurs
Thermonuclear fusion
• thermonuclear fusion –
– Sun’s core.
– when 4 hydrogen atoms turn into 1 helium atom
– heat and light are made!
– This energy and light released from the sun takes 8 minutes
to reach us!
– So image how far away other stars are!
The sun’s structure
• Photosphere – innermost part of sun’s atmosphere
but still visible to us, made of hydrogen that burns
at 6000 Celsius – causes it to glow yellow
The sun’s structure
• Chromosphere – inner atmosphere, region of glowing plasma;
red color caused by ionization of hydrogen. PLASMA!
Convection Currents
of Heat Energy
The sun’s structure
Corona – outer atmosphere, thin layer of gas that
extends millions of km beyond chromosphere
The sun’s corona
Next total
eclipse in NJ
2079
What is a sunspot?
• An area on the sun that
has extremely strong
magnetic activity
• The magnetic activity
does NOT allow
convection so it is a cool
region
• Looks like a dark spot
• Lasts 2 weeks and only
occurs in 11 year cycles
Recent sunspot activity
What else should we know about
sunspots?
• They can cause solar flares
– Coronal mass ejections-eruptions
from the surface of the sun
(corona)
– ions and radiation into space
- Solar flares create solar winds
- Can interfere with satellites.
Solar Flares
Close Up of Flares
How is Earth protected?
• Magnetosphere- magnetic field surrounding Earth
• Protect us from solar winds.
Earth’s Magnetosphere
Solar Wind – a continuous flow of electrons and
protons from the sun into space
Solar winds
• Every 11 years, the suns magnetic poles
reverse and release energy
– peak it is called the solar maximum,
• speeds can reach 3 million mph
Solar prominence
• arch above photosphere
• back into the sun
• Do not disrupt Earth’s
communications
Why does this matter?
• We need to understand how solar flares and
solar winds work
• 1989, an X28 eruption knocked out electricity for
6 million people in Quebec for 9 hours and
permanently damaged a transformer at a
nuclear power plant in NJ
Transformer Damage
Why does this matter?
• damage our communication
systems and electrical
systems
• Deplete ozone
• Also increase aurora activity
• Aurora Borealis and
Australis – lights caused by
interactions of atomic
particles between solar wind
and the ionosphere
Effect of solar flares and solar
winds
• http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/e
ss05.sci.ess.eiu.solarwind/
Comparison of the size of stars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur
e=player_embedded&v=2LUQVzerseI
What is at the center of our
solar system?
What else is a solar system
made of?
Now go complete the solar
system computer activity.