Layers of the Sun
What is the visible “surface” of the Sun called?
What is the photosphere?
What process powers the Sun and produces its energy?
What is nuclear fusion?
Darker, cooler areas on the Sun’s surface are called what?
What are sunspots?
The solar wind can cause this colorful light display near Earth’s poles.
What is the aurora (Northern or Southern Lights)?
What solar feature appears as dark, cooler areas on the Sun’s surface?
What are sunspots?
This layer of the Sun is directly above the photosphere and appears reddish during a solar eclipse.
What is the chromosphere?
In nuclear fusion, hydrogen atoms combine to form what element?
What is helium?
Large loops of glowing gas extending from the Sun’s surface are called what?
What are prominences?
Solar flares can interfere with what type of technology on Earth?
What are satellites, radio signals, or power grids?
What large loops of glowing gas extend outward from the Sun, often following magnetic field lines?
What are prominences?
This outermost layer of the Sun extends millions of kilometers into space.
What is the corona?
After energy leaves the core, it moves through this layer by radiation.
What is the radiative zone?
A sudden, powerful burst of energy from the Sun’s surface is called what?
What is a solar flare?
The Sun’s gravity keeps these objects in orbit around it.
What are planets?
Why do sunspots appear darker even though they are extremely hot?
What is because they are cooler than the surrounding photosphere?
The Sun’s energy is produced in which layer?
What is the core?
In this layer, energy is transferred by convection currents.
What is the convection zone?
A stream of charged particles constantly flowing from the Sun is called what?
What is the solar wind?
Why is the corona hotter than the photosphere even though it is farther from the core?
What is due to magnetic energy and plasma interactions (coronal heating)?
99.9% of the mass
What is the mass of the sun compared to the solar system
Put these layers in order from innermost to outermost: chromosphere, core, corona, photosphere.
What is core → photosphere → chromosphere → corona?
This layer of the Sun appears reddish and can be seen briefly during a total solar eclipse.
What is the chromosphere?
Why are sunspots darker than the rest of the photosphere?
What is because they are cooler areas caused by strong magnetic activity?
What natural light display on Earth is caused by charged particles from the Sun interacting with Earth’s atmosphere?
What is the aurora (Northern or Southern Lights)?
In this layer of the Sun, hot plasma rises and cooler plasma sinks, transferring energy toward the surface.
What is the convection zone?