A well-researched powerpoint about the sun

1. • HAS A SUN, 13+ PLANETS,
176+ SATELLITES, ABOUT
1.1 TO 1.9 MILLION
ASTEROIDS, EXPONENTIAL
NUMBERS OF COMETS,
METEOROIDS, SPARSE
GAS & DUST PARTICLES

2. SOLAR

3. • SUN: 99.86%
• PLANETS: 0.135%
• COMETS: 0.01% ?
• SATELLITES: 0.00005%
• MINOR PLANETS: 0.0000002% ?
• METEOROIDS: 0.0000001% ?
• INTERPLANETARY MEDIUM:
0.0000001% ?

4. MEMBERS OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM

5. PROPERTIES OF THE
SUN
• CONTAINS ABOUT 99.86% OF
THE TOTAL MASS OF THE
SOLAR SYSTEM
(JUPITER CONTAINS MOST OF
THE REST).
• IS MADE UP OF 92%
HYDROGEN, 7% HELIUM AND
THE REMAINDER OF VARIOUS

6. PROPERTIES OF THE
SUN
• THE SUN IS WHITE-COLORED, IT
MAY APPEAR YELLOW BECAUSE
OF ATMOSPHERIC
SCATTERING OF BLUE LIGHT IN
THE EARTH
• G2V YELLOW DWARF STAR W/C IS
THE CENTRAL & DOMINANT
MEMBER, SOURCE OF LIGHT &
HEAT OF ALL PLANETS AND

7. PROPERTIES OF THE
SUN
• DIAMETER: 864,938 MILES
(1,391,980 KM)
• MASS: 1.1989 X 1030 KG
(333,000 TIMES EARTH’S
MASS)
• TEMPERATURE: 5,800 K
(SURFACE), 15,600,000 K
(CORE)

8. PROPERTIES OF THE
SUN
• ROTATION: 27-36 EARTH DAYS
• IS OF 4.57 B YRS OF AGE
• THE SUN IS A NORMAL G2 STAR
• IT WILL KEEP SHINING FOR AT
LEAST ANOTHER 5B YEARS
• IS 149.60M KMS ( 92.96M MI)
AWAY
• SURFACE GRAVITY: 274.0 m/s2

9. ENERGY OF THE
SUN
• THE ENERGY MOVES OUT
FROM THE SUN THROUGH
CONVECTION
• THE ENERGY COMES FROM
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
IN THE CORE
• ENERGY RELEASE EQUALS TO
THE DETONATION OF ABOUT
100 NUKE BOMBS PER

10. ENERGY IS CREATED IN THE
CORE WHEN HYDROGEN IS
FUSED TO HELIUM. THIS ENERGY
FLOWS OUT FROM THE CORE BY
RADIATION THROUGH THE
RADIATIVE LAYER, BY
CONVECTION THROUGH THE
CONVECTIVE LAYER, AND BY
RADIATION FROM THE SURFACE
OF THE PHOTOSPHERE, WHICH IS
THE PORTION OF THE SUN WE

11. • THE SUN MUST EXPEND
LARGE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY
TO ENDURE ITS OWN
GRAVITATIONAL DESIRE TO
COLLAPSE.
• THE CORE OF THE SUN IS
WHERE ENERGY IS FIRST
FORMED WITH A
TEMPERATURE OF 27 MILLION
DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

12. • THE ENERGY MOVES OUT
FROM THE CORE THROUGH
THE RADIATIVE ZONE.
SCIENTISTS CALCULATE THE
TEMPERATURE TO BE COOLER
THAN THE CORE—IT IS ONLY A
4.5 MILLION DEGREES
FAHRENHEIT.
• THE SUN’S NEXT LAYER IS THE
CONVECTION ZONE.

13. • CONVECTION IS HOW ENERGY
MOVES FROM THE INNER PARTS
OF THE SUN TO THE OUTER
PART OF THE SUN THAT WE SEE.
• JUST ABOVE THE
PHOTOSPHERE IS THE
CHROMOSPHERE WITH HUGE
SOLAR FLARES AND LOOPS OF
HOT GASES SHOOTING UP
THOUSANDS OF MILES. THINGS
BEGIN TO HEAT UP AGAIN

14. • ABOVE THE CHROMOSPHERE
IS THE CORONA—VISIBLE
DURING A TOTAL SOLAR
ECLIPSE. THE CORONA 4
MILLION DEGREES F. IT IS
ALSO VERY THIN.
SOMETIMES, SOLAR WIND
STREAM AWAY IN ALL
DIRECTION FROM THE SUN
AND CAN MOVE UP TO 1

15. • SOLAR FLARES OUTBURSTS
AS THE SUN’S MAGNETIC
FIELDS TWIST, TEAR AND
RECONNECT. CORONAL
LOOPS ARE MAGNETIC LOOPS
WITH STRONG MAGNETIC
FIELDS.
• GIANT ARCHES OF GAS THAT
ERUPT ON THE SUN ARE
CALLED PROMINENCES THAT

16. • CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS
HAVE THE MOST ENERGY OF ALL
THESE SOLAR EVENTS.
SOMETIMES THEY HEAD TOWARD
THE EARTH WHERE THEY CAN
CAUSE COMMUNICATIONS
DISRUPTIONS AND DAMAGE
SATELLITES. EARTH HAS A
PROTECTIVE & POWERFUL
MAGNETIC SHIELD AROUND IT
WHICH PROTECTS US FROM

17. HOW THE SUN CONVERTS
MATTER INTO ENERGY??
• THE CORE THAT’S MADE UP OF
CRUSHED MATTER MUST BE HOT
OF AT LEAST 60 MILLION
DEGREES CELSIUS
• SUN PRODUCE ENERGY BY
NUCLEAR REACTIONS WHERE
LIGHTER ATOMS FUSE TOGETHER
TO FORM HEAVIER ONES

18. • THERMONUCLEAR REACTION
–SEEMS TO BE THE SUN’S
SECRET ON ENERGY
PRODUCTION; THE FUSION
OF ATOMIC NUCLEI UNDER
HIGH TEMPERATURES
• THE SUN’S MAIN PARTS: ITS
CORE, PHOTOSPHERE,
CHROMOSPHERE, CORONA

19. • ENERGY FROM THE SUN,
IN THE FORM OF
SUNLIGHT AND HEAT,
SUPPORTS ALMOST ALL
LIFE ON EARTH VIA
PHOTOSYNTHESIS, AND
DRIVES THE EARTH'S
CLIMATE AND WEATHER.

20. REGIONS OF THE

21. 1. CORE
2. RADIATIVE
ZONE
3. CONVECTION
ZONE
4. PHOTOSPHERE
5.
CHROMOSPHERE
6. CORONA
7. SUNSPOTS
8. GRANULES
9. PROMINENCE

22. • IS WHERE THE NUCLEAR
FUSION OF HYDROGEN (H)
& HELIUM (He) TAKES
PLACE
• THE SOURCE OF THE SUN’S
& EARTH’S ENERGY
• HAS TEMPERATURE ABOVE

23. • THE HOTTEST PART OF THE
SUN AND OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM, HAS .3 SOLAR
RADIUS
• IS MADE OF HOT, DENSE
GAS IN THE PLASMIC STATE
• GENERATES 99% OF THE

24. • EACH GAMMA RAY IN THE SUN'S
CORE IS CONVERTED INTO
SEVERAL MILLION VISIBLE LIGHT
PHOTONS BEFORE ESCAPING
INTO SPACE
• 3.6×1038 PROTONS (H NUCLEI) ARE
CONVERTED INTO He NUCLEI PER
SECOND, RELEASING MASS &
ENERGY OF 4.3 MILLION TONNES
PER
SECOND,380 YOTTAWATTS (3.8×10

25. RADIATIVE ZONE
• LOCATED BETWEEN THE SOLAR
CORE AND THE CONVECTION
ZONE
• TRANSPORTS SOLAR ENERGY
TOWARD THE SUN’S EXTERIOR
BY MEANS OF RADIATIVE
DIFFUSION
• ENERGY TRAVELS THROUGH THE
RADIATION ZONE IN THE FORM

26. • ENERGY IS TRANSPORTED
PRIMARILY BY CONVECTION
• CONVECTION IS THE CONCERTED,
COLLECTIVE MOVEMENT OF
ENSEMBLES
OF MOLECULES WITHIN FLUIDS
• IN THERMODYNAMICS
"CONVECTION" OFTEN REFERS TO
HEAT TRANSFER BY CONVECTION

27. PHOTOSPHERE
• PHOTOS -"LIGHT" AND SPHAIRA -
"SPHERE‖
• PERCEIVED TO EMIT LIGHT
• SUN'S PHOTOSPHERE HAS A
TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 4500 AND
6000 K (ABOUT 5,800 K)
• INNERMOST SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
• HAS GRANULES—CELLS OF GAS
EACH ABOUT 1,000 KM IN DIAMETER

28. CHROMOSPHERE
• LITERALLY, "SPHERE OF COLOR―, IS
ROUGHLY 2,000 KILOMETERS DEEP. IT
SITS JUST ABOVE THE
PHOTOSPHERE AND BELOW THE CORONA
• CAN ONLY BE SEEN DURING A TOTAL
ECLIPSE, WHERE ITS REDDISH COLOR IS
REVEALED
• A WAVELENGTH OF 656.3 NM IS IN THE
RED PART OF THE SPECTRUM, WHICH
CAUSES THE CHROMOSPHERE TO HAVE
ITS CHARACTERISTIC REDDISH COLOR

29. PHENOMENA OBSERVED IN
THE CHROMOSOPHERE
• FILAMENTS AND PROMINENCES
• FILAMENTS ARE LARGE REGIONS
OF VERY DENSE, COOL GAS,
HELD IN PLACE BY MAGNETIC
FIELDS. THEY USUALLY APPEAR
LONG AND THIN ABOVE
THE CHROMOSPHERE
• DARK-COLORED BECAUSE
THEY’RE COOLER THAN THEIR

30. • FILAMENTS (DARK-COLORED)
APPEAR ON THE ―EDGE‖ OF
THE SUN, BRIGHTER THAN
THE DARK OUTER SPACE
BEHIND THEM. IN THAT CASE
WE CALL THEM PROMINENCES
• FILAMENTS AND
PROMINENCES ARE JUST THE
SAME THING
• FILAMENTS LAST FOR A FEW

31. • SPICULE -A DYNAMIC JET OF
ABOUT 500 KM DIAMETER IN
THE CHROMOSPHERE OF
THE SUN.
• ARE LONG THIN FINGERS OF
LUMINOUS GAS WHICH
APPEAR LIKE THE BLADES OF
A HUGE FIELD OF
FIERY GRASS GROWING
UPWARDS FROM THE

32. CORONA
• OUTERMOST REGION OF
THE SUN’S ATMOSPHERE,
CONSISTING OF PLASMA (HOT
IONIZED GAS)
• HAS A TEMPERATURE OF
APPROXIMATELY TWO MILLION
KELVIN AND AN EXTREMELY LOW
DENSITY
• ITS SIZE & SHAPE IS AFFECTED BY

33. • SOLAR WIND, WHICH FLOWS
RADIALLY OUTWARD THROUGH THE
ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM, IS FORMED
IN THE CORONA. IT EXPANDS FROM
THE SUN TO THE END OF THE
HELIOPAUSE
• HELIOPAUSE- BOUNDARY OF
THE HELIOSPHERE, THE SPHERICAL
REGION AROUND THE SUN THAT IS
FILLED WITH SOLAR MAGNETIC
FIELDS
• THE TAIL OF THE HELIOPAUSE IS

34. • A FLOW OF CHARGED
PARTICLES FROM THE SUN
(THE SOLAR WIND)
PERMEATES THE SOLAR
SYSTEM. THIS CREATES A
BUBBLE IN THE
INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM
KNOWN AS THE
HELIOSPHERE, WHICH
TERMINATES AT THE

36. SUNSPOTS
• ARE DARK, PLANET-SIZED REGIONS
THAT APPEAR ON THE "SURFACE"
OF THE SUN. A LARGE SUNSPOT
MIGHT HAVE A TEMPERATURE OF
ABOUT 4,000 K (ABOUT 3,700° C OR
6,700° F). THIS IS MUCH LOWER
THAN THE 5,800 K (ABOUT 5,500° C
OR 10,000° F) TEMPERATURE OF
THE BRIGHT PHOTOSPHERE THAT
SURROUNDS THE SUNSPOTS

37. • SUNSPOTS ARE CAUSED BY
THE SUN'S MAGNETIC FIELD
W/C PRODUCE ―SOLAR
STORMS‖ LIKE SOLAR
FLARES AND CORONAL MASS
EJECTIONS (CMES)
• HISTORICAL RECORDS OF
SUNSPOT COUNTS SHOW THAT
SUNSPOT CYCLE HAS AN
AVERAGE PERIOD OF ABOUT

38. GRANULES
• GRANULES ON
THE PHOTOSPHERE OF
THE SUN ARE CAUSED
BY CONVECTION CURRENTS
• A TYPICAL GRANULE HAS A
DIAMETER ON THE ORDER OF
1,000 KILOMETERS AND LASTS 8
TO 20 MINS BEFORE

40. • 60 EARTH ELEMENTS ARE
DETECTED IN THE SOLAR
SPECTRUM
• THE SUN IS MOSTLY MADE
UP OF HYDROGEN AND
HELIUM

41. PHENOMENA OF THE
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
• ARE ASSOCIATED W/ RADIO FADE-
OUT, MAGNETIC STORMS & POLAR
AURORAS
1)SUNSPOTS -ARE AS HOT AS 3,700
K
• HAS TWO PARTS – THE DARK
CENTRAL UMBRA & THE LIGHTER
SURROUNDING AREA CALLED
PENUMBRA. VARIATIONS IN THE NO.

42. SUNSPOTS APPEAR AS DARK
SPOTS ON THE SURFACE OF
THE SUN. THEY TYPICALLY
LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS,
ALTHOUGH VERY LARGE ONES
MAY LIVE FOR SEVERAL

44. 2) SOLAR PROMINENCES
• BILLOWING ARCHES OF
HOT GASES STREAMING
FROM A SUNSPOT GROUP
TO ANOTHER
• CAN GROW HIGH ABOUT 1
MILLION KILOMETERS
ABOVE THE

46. • THEY MAY BE QUIESCENT
(REMAINS MOTIONLESS FOR
SEVERAL HRS THAT CAN
GROW TO THOUSANDS OF
KM ABOVE SOLAR SURFACE)
OR ERUPTIVE (RARE & VERY
ACTIVE, HAS SPEEDS OF UP
TO 720KM/SEC AND COULD
GROW ABOUT A MILLION KM)

47. 3) SOLAR FLARES
• THE MOST VIOLENT SOLAR
PHENOMENA
• SUDDEN PHOTOSPHERIC
ERUPTIONS EJECTING
FOUNTAINS OF VERY HOT GASES
OF MORE THAN 1,600,000 KM OUT
INTO THE SPACE
• ALWAYS OCCUR IN THE ERUPTIVE
SUNSPOTS

48. • THEY EMIT ELECTRICALLY
CHARGED PARTICLES TRAPPED IN
THE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD TO
FORM THE VAN ALLEN RADIATION
BELTS, GASES GO EXCITED AND
EMITS AURORA BOREALIS
(NORTHERN HEMISPHERE) OR
AURORA AUSTRALIS (SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE)
• SOLAR FLARES CAUSE RADIO
DISTURBANCES ON EARTH AMIDST

50. 4) PLAGES
• ARE BRIGHT REGIONS IN
THE CHROMOSPHERE OF
THE SUN, TYPICALLY FOUND
IN REGIONS OF THE
CHROMOSPHERE
NEAR SUNSPOTS
• SUNSPOTS GO BEFORE A
PLAGE IN THE SUN’S HIGH
MAGNETIC FIELD REGION

52. 5) SPICULES -A DYNAMIC JET
OF ABOUT 500 KM DIAMETER IN
THE CHROMOSPHERE OF
THE SUN
• LASTS FOR ONLY FEW MINUTES
• ARE LONG THIN FINGERS OF
LUMINOUS GAS WHICH APPEAR
LIKE THE BLADES OF A HUGE
FIELD OF FIERY GRASS GROWING
UPWARDS FROM THE

54. 6) PHOTOSPHERIC
GRANULATIONS
• DUE TO THE CONVECTION
OPERATING BELOW THE
PHOTOSPHERE. CONVECTION
PRODUCES COLUMNS OF
RISING GAS JUST BELOW THE
PHOTOSPHERE THAT ARE
ABOUT 700 TO 1000 KM IN
DIAMETER.

55. 7) SOLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS
• THE ELECTRIC CURRENTS IN THE
SUN GENERATE A
COMPLEX MAGNETIC FIELD WITH
EXTENDS OUT INTO
INTERPLANETARY SPACE TO FORM
THE INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC
FIELD. AS THE SUN'S MAGNETIC
FIELD IS CARRIED OUT THROUGH
THE SOLAR SYSTEM BY
THE SOLAR WIND

56. THE SUN'S CORONA IS
THREADED WITH A COMPLEX
NETWORK OF MAGNETIC
FIELDS. SOLAR STORMS AND
FLARES RESULT FROM
CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE
AND CONNECTIONS OF THESE
FIELDS.
SUN’S MAGNETIC FIELD