Chapter 2 Section 2 The Sun

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Chapter 2 Section 2 The Sun

• Star Log 3 Why is the sun important?
• Objective Students will identify the layers of
  the suns atmosphere in a foldable.

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The Suns Interior

• Giant furnace
• Energy comes from nuclear fusion
• Nuclear fusion- hydrogen atoms join together to
  form helium
• Core Temperature- 15 million degrees
  Celsius
• There is enough hydrogen fuel in the core of the
  sun to last for 10 billion years!

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The Suns Atmosphere

• Three layers of the suns atmosphere
• Photosphere- inner layer
• Photo means light
• This is the part of the suns atmosphere you see
• Chromosphere- middle layer
• Chromo means color
• Reddish glow
• Corona- outer layer
• Corona means crown

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What is a solar wind?

• Stream of electrically charged particles that
  come from the corona
• Earths atmosphere and magnetic field usually
  block these particles, but sometimes they enter
  the Earths atmosphere near the North and South
  poles
• The glow of these particles is called the auroras

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Features on the Sun

• Sunspots
• Areas of gas on the sun that are cooler than the
  gases around them. These cooler gases do not
  give off as much light, which is why they look
  darker.
• Sunspot cycles vary every 10 or 11 years

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Features on the Sun

• Prominences
• Reddish loop of gases that link different parts
  of sunspot regions.
• Prominences are about 10,000 degrees Celsius

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