The Sun Student edition

Question of the Day

• How does energy move from the Sun's core to the Earth's surface?

Multiple Choice

Two stars are identified on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram below.

Based on this diagram, how do the characteristics of Star 1 and Star 2 compare?

• Star 1 is cooler and less bright than Star 2

• Star 1 is hotter and brighter than Star 2

• Star 1 is cooler and brighter than Star 2

• Star 1 is hotter and less bright than Star 2

The sun

The sun is a yellow dwarf star. It's small compared to other stars but it's just the right size for our solar system.

Life Span of the Sun

• Main-Sequence Star

• 4.6 billion years old (based on mass)

• Estimated life span = 10 billion years

The sun looks different depending on the type of wavelength. Here are some examples of how the sun looks when NASA looks at them through different "eyes."

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​Sun in different wavelengths

The corona and chromosphere make up the sun's atmosphere. The sun's atmosphere was recently discovered by the Parker Solar Probe.

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​The sun's atmosphere

Fuel of the Sun

• Uses Hydrogen as a fuel source

• Powered by nuclear fusion

Radiation

• Product of something that produces energy

• Transfers energy through waves

• Waves can travel through matter, as well as through empty space

Layers of the Sun

• Core

• Radiative Zone

• Convection Zone

• Photosphere

• Chromosphere

• Corona

Core

• Extremely hot and dense

• Plasma gas (charged Hydrogen atoms)

• Hydrogen atoms are moving fast and constantly colliding

• Upon collision they form Helium atoms and release radiation energy

• 15,000,000 degrees Celsius

Radiative Zone

• Photons (light waves) travel via radiative diffusion

• Area between the Core and Convective zone

• Between 2,000,000 - 7,000,000 degrees Celsius

Convective Zone

• Extends from 200,000km to surface

• 2,000,000 degrees Celsius

• Radiation travels via convection currents

• "Lava lamp"

Photosphere

• the visible "surface" of the sun

• 6,000 degrees Celsius

Chromosphere

• Reddish gaseous layer

• Part of Sun's outer-atmosphere

• 4,000 - 50,000 degrees Celsius

Corona

• Aura of plasma

• Outer-layer of Sun's atmosphere

• 10 million times less dense than Sun's surface

Space Weather

• Hot, electric, magnetic, gas is released from the sun into space

• Solar winds

• Sun spots

• Solar flares

• Coronal Mass Ejections