The Sun
Our Sun
The sun powers everything we do. We could not live without it and this article will tell you all about it.
This is the structure of the sun.
The Core
Let’s start at the innermost layer of the Sun, the core of the Sun. This is the very center of the Sun, where temperatures and pressures are so high that fusion can happen. The Sun is combining hydrogen into helium atoms, and this reaction gives off the light and heat that we see here on Earth.
Radiative Zone
The radiative zone of the Sun starts at the edge of the core of the Sun. Within the radiative zone, the solar material is hot and dense enough that thermal radiation transfers the heat of the core outward through the Sun.
Convective Zone
Where heat from inside the Sun is carried up by columns of hot gas. Most stars have a convective zone. In the case of the Sun, it starts at around 70% of the Sun’s radius and goes to the outer surface (the photosphere).
Photosphere
The layer of the Sun that we can see from Earth. Below the photosphere, the Sun becomes opaque to visible light, and astronomers have to use other methods to probe its interior. The temperature of the photosphere is about 6,000 Kelvin, and gives off the yellow-white light that we see.
Chromospere
It glows faintly relative to the photosphere and can only be seen easily in a total solar eclipse. The outside glow of the sun.
Corona
A small glow around the sun that is also the atmosphere around the sun. The Sun's corona extends millions of miles into space and is most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but it is also observable with a coronagraph.
Sun Spot
These are areas on the Sun’s surface where the magnetic field lines pierce the surface of the Sun, and they’re relatively cooler than the surrounding areas.
Prominence
A bright feature that extends above the surface of the Sun, often in the shape of a loop. The size of the Earth is shown in the picture.
Solar Flare
a brief eruption of intense high-energy radiation from the sun's surface, associated with sunspots and causing electromagnetic disturbances on the earth, as with radio frequency communications and power line transmissions.
Aurora
An aurora, sometimes referred to as a polar light, is a natural light display in the sky, predominantly seen in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions.