Our Sun

The Sun
Largest object in the solar system The sun has 99% of all mass in the solar system It is low densitysimilar to gas giants The sun controls motions of all objects in the solar system
Planets Comets Asteroids

Layers of the Sun

Layers of the sun

Core is the innermost layer It is more dense than lead, but not solid It is the site of nuclear fusion 18,000,000 oF! Photosphere is lowest layer of Suns atmosphere 400 km thick It is the visible layer of the sun Thought of as the surface of the sun 10,000 oF

 Chromosphere is the middle layer of Suns atmosphere 55,000 oF Visible only with filters as a red aura Corona is the top most layer of Suns atmosphere Visible only during a solar eclipse 1.7 t0 3.5 million oF Extends several million km above chromosphere

Other features of the Sun

Solar wind is gas flowing outward from Sun at high speeds
400 km/s Charged particles from the wind are trapped in Van Allen belts and can be seen as aurora borealis: northern lights

Solar flares are eruptions of radiation Prominence are large jets of gas (loops)

Northern Lights as seen from Earth

How Northern Lights Work

Sunspots
Sunspots are dark spots on Suns surface Suns magnetic field breaks through photosphere

Appear darker because of cooler temp.

Close up of sunspot

Solar Prominences

The Suns Energy

Nuclear fusion of Hydrogen into Helium Not all of Suns energy reaches Earth because of the atmosphere Our sun is middle aged having converted half of its Hydrodgen

Visible light
Spectrum is the arrangement of visible light based on wavelength Violet is the shortest wavelength Red is the longest wavelength 3 types of light Absorption Emission Continuous