Our sun

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Slide 1

Our sun

Slide 2

Solar telescope

Slide 3

Fusion

Need very high temperatures

H + H → He + energy

Energy= heat

Light

EM radiation

Slide 4

Compositon of the Sun

90% H & 10% He

Plasma- gas stripped of electrons

Slide 5

Sun Layers

Slide 6

core

Where Fusion is taking place

15 million ºC

Slide 7

Slide 8

Radiative Zone

EM radiation is traveling through this zone

2.5 million ºC

Slide 9

Convective zone

Convection currents

Hot gases rise to surface, cooler gases sink= turbulance

Slide 10

Photosphere

Sun’s surface

Bubbling plasma

Only 6,000 ºC!

Slide 11

chromosphere

Sun’s atmosphere

20,000 C

Source of flares/prominences

Slide 12

chromosphere

Slide 13

Corona

“Crown”

See only during solar eclipses

2 million C

Made of ions

Slide 14

Journey from the center of the sun

Slide 15

Sunspots

Cool spots on sun

Caused by twisting of magnetic field?

Slide 16

Oct. 17, 2012

Main sequence star

Slide 17

How long is a sunspot cycle?

Slide 18

11 year sunspot cycle

Cycle number

Slide 19

Solar prominences (filaments)