Structure of the Sun
The layer of the Sun we can see
What is the photosphere?
Dark, cooler spots on the Sun’s surface
What are sunspots?
Movement of heat by rising and sinking material
What is convection?
Color of the hottest stars
What is blue?
How bright a star appears from Earth
What is apparent magnitude?
The center of the Sun where energy is produced
What is the core?
Huge explosions of energy from the Sun
What are solar flares?
Hot plasma rises and cool plasma sinks in this solar layer
What is the convection zone?
Color of cooler stars
What is red?
The actual brightness of a star
What is luminosity?
The layer where energy moves outward by radiation
The layer where energy moves outward by radiation
Large loops of glowing gas extending from the Sun
What are prominences?
The Sun’s energy comes from this process
What is nuclear fusion?
What determines a star’s color
What is temperature?
Why a nearby star may appear brighter than a distant one
Distance affects apparent brightness
The outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere is seen during an eclipse
What is the corona?
Why do sunspots appear darker than the surrounding areas
They are cooler than the surrounding regions
Why does convection occur in the Sun
Due to temperature differences, causing density changes
A very large and bright star is called a
What is a giant or supergiant?
Two factors that affect how bright a star appears
Distance and luminosity
Name the 3 main internal layers of the Sun
What are the core, radiative zone, and convection zone?
How solar flares can affect Earth
They can disrupt satellites, GPS, and power systems
How convection contributes to solar surface features
It creates patterns and helps form sunspots and activity
Compare a red star and a blue star
Blue stars are hotter; red stars are cooler
Explain the difference between apparent brightness and luminosity
Apparent = how bright it looks; luminosity = actual energy output