The Solar Interior

Core

Radiation Zone

Convection Zone

Innermost LayerHottest Layer……

14,000,000 degrees

Celsius

Sun’s Energy Is Produced Here………By By Nuclear FusionNuclear Fusion::

The Core

The Radiation Zone

Energy travels via waves through this region.

Here, energy is radiated from the core much like a space heater radiates heat through the air.

Temperatures range from

4,500,0000C to 8,100,0000C

Toward Surface

Cooler Gases Sink Hotter Gases Rise

Toward Core

The Convection Zone

2,000,0000CEnergy produced in the core rises towards the surface via……….

convection currents

The Sun’s Surface

Photosphere: This the “disk” you see when you look at a picture of

the sun:

Photosphere (cont.)

OnlyOnly 5,700 – 10,300 5,700 – 10,300 00CC ……..…How cool is that?Granular appearance: Due to convection from underneath.Sunspots: Magnetic storms that appear as dark patches. (Very Cool)(Very Cool)Seem to peak in 8-11 year cycles.

Flares and Prominences: Eruptions of plasma from surface. • Sometimes they affect earth’s

atmosphere producing auroras and may interfere with satellite/radio communications.

The Solar Atmosphere

These regions of the sun can only be observed during a total solar eclipse

Chromosphere- A very thin reddish ring (2,500 km) as

seen just prior to and after the

peak of a total solar eclipse.

Corona- Extremely high temperatures

(millions of degrees Celsius)

- Emits high energy radiation.

- Produces both white and red light.

White CoronaRed Corona

Solar Eclipse

Occurs when:Moon is located between sun and earth.

Moon casts its shadow on the earth.

Due to the moon’s cone-shaped shadow, a total solar eclipse can only be seen in limited areas.

When viewed within the:

Umbra- you see a total solar eclipse.

Penumbra- you see a partial solar eclipse.

Diameter: 1.4 million km (870,000 miles)Age: 4.5 billion yearsMass: 330,000 x EarthDistance from Earth: 149.6 million km (93 million miles)Density: 1.41 (water=1)Distance to Nearest Star: 9.46 million million kmSolar Wind Speed: 3 million km/hr.Luminosity: 390 billion billion megawattsSolar Cycle: 8 - 11 yearsTemperature at surface: 5,500o C (9,932o F)Temperature at Core: 14 milliono C (22.5 milliono F) Temperature of Sunspots: 4,000o C (7,232o F)Rotation Period at Equator: 25 Earth daysRotation Period at Poles: 35 Earth days

Solar Facts