Our Sun
93 million miles (150 million
kilometers) from Earth
99.8% of the mass of our
solar system
Vocabulary words
1. Corona – The outer layer of sun’s atmosphere.
2. Sunspot – A dark area of gas on the sun’s surface
that is cooler than surrounding gases.
3. Prominence – A huge, reddish loop of gas that
protrudes from the sun’s surface, linking part of
sunspot regions.
4. Solar Flare – An eruption of gas from the sun’s
surface that occurs when the loops in sunspot
regions suddenly connect.
5. Solar Wind – A stream of electrically charged
particles that emanates from the sun’s corona.
Corona
http://www.space.com/21830-monster-sun-prominence-and-strong-flare-kick-off-julyvideo.html
Events on the Sun
• Sunspots
• Prominences
• Solar flares
http://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/80035/solarflares-17-2997.html
Sunspots
HD picture captured by the
largest telescope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML-zSagzOzw
Prominences
Solar Flares
Solar Wind
http://www.sciencechannel.com/video-topics/space-videos/the-planets-the-sunsolar-wind.htm
The Sun’s Energy
• The core of the sun acts like a furnace.
• The sun’s energy comes from nuclear fusion.
• Nuclear fusion- Hydrogen atoms join together to form
helium atoms at extremely high temperatures.
• Sun’s core- 15 million degrees Celsius
• Conservation of Mass - The total mass of the helium
atoms produces is slightly less than the total mass of
the hydrogen atoms. The difference is the amount of
heat and light energy given off by the sun.
Stop and Think - Hydrogen and helium are the most
abundant elements in the universe. Why? (ans. on page
36 of your INB)
The Sun’s Atmosphere
3 layers:
1) Photosphere :
• Inner layer of the sun’s atmosphere
• the part of the sun we see when we look at the sun
2) Chromosphere :
• Middle layer
• Reddish glow just around the photosphere seen during a
solar eclipse
3) Corona : means “crown”
• Outer layer that looks like a halo ( seen during a complete
solar eclipse)
• Gives off solar wind which cause the aurora borealis at the
North and South Poles.
Answer on these questions on page 36 of your INB
Match the following pictures to the solar event they
represent:
1.
2.
3.
4.
explosions on the sun’s surface
finger like sun’s surface projections
electrically charged particles leaving the suns’ corona
dark areas on sun’s surface
A
B
C
D
5. Which part of the sun acts as
it’s furnace?
6. Where does the sun’s energy
come from?
7. What are the 2 most abundant
elements in the universe?
8. Which layer of the sun is what
we see from Earth?
9. Which layer of the sun’s
atmosphere is called it’s crown or
halo?
10. Which layer of the sun’s
atmosphere provides a reddish
color during a solar eclipse?