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4.1 The Sun is our Local Star
The document discusses the structure and composition of the Sun. It has 6 layers: the core, where fusion occurs at 15 million degrees Celsius; the radiative zone, where energy moves by radiation; the convection zone, where hot gas currents transfer energy; the photosphere, the visible surface; the chromosphere, a thin pinkish layer; and the corona, the outermost low density layer. The Sun is mostly made of hydrogen and helium and produces energy through the fusion of hydrogen into helium. It contains over 99% of the mass in the solar system and has prominent features like sunspots and solar winds.
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4.1 The Sun is our Local Star
- 1. The Sun isour local starSpace ScienceChapter 4: Section 4.1
- 2. The sun:What isthe sun made of? Is it a solid? A liquid? Or a gas?Gas- made mostly of hydrogen and helium
- 3. Is the Sunconsistent? Or does it have layers?The sun has 6 layers
- 4. How does thesun make it’s energy?Fusion- the process in which hydrogen is converted into helium
- 5. Review: What ismass?Anything that has matter and takes up space
- 6. How massive isthe sun?Contains 99.9% of the mass of the entire solar system
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- 8. The sun’s interiorCoreWherefusion takes placeNuclear reaction, not chemicalReaches 15 million degrees CelsiusRadiative ZoneEnergy moves by radiation through this thick layerConditions not extreme enough for fusion to occurConvection ZoneConvection- the transfer of energy from place to place by motion of heated gas or liquidthe currents of this hot gas carry energy towards the Sun’s surface
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- 11. - Convection ZoneThesun’s atmospherePhotosphereThe sun’s surface- the part you see when you look at the sunConvection currents break through this layerMaking it appear bumpy in textureChromosphereThin middle layerGives off pinkish layerCoronaLow density, outer most layerOnly seen during a total eclipse
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- 13. SunspotsSpots on thephotosphere that are cooler than surrounding areasAppear dark but are brightSeem dim because rest of photosphere is much brighterFinding Sunspots ActivityLight bulb SunIndex cards
- 14. SunspotsFollow 11 yearpatternsDuring peak season, dozen of sunspots appear
- 15. The more sunspotsthere are, the cooler earth is.Why?NASA claims that in 2008 the sun had the fewest sunspots since 1913 and that is the reason for the cooler weather in the northern hemisphere.
- 16. ProminencesLarge bright featuresextending outward from the sun’s surfaceAnchored to the photosphereMay be thousand of km in length
- 17. prominencesMade of ionizedgases called plasma
- 18. Solar windsElectrically chargedparticles that flow in all directions from the cornoaDeflected by the magnetic poles
- 19. Solar windsApproximate sizeof Earth for comparison
- 20. AurorasWhen the energyis released into the upper atmosphere of Earth they create aurorasAlso known as northern or southern lights
- 24. NASA matching sunactivity
- 25. How are theimages similar? Different?
- 26. The yellow UVimages show regions of intense activity above the surface of the sunThe black and white images show regions of magnetic connections break and reconnectingMany of these areas appear as sunspots in simple images of the sun
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