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What causes a sunspot in the photosphere?
How do sunspots form?
What causes a huge eruption of cool gases from the Sun?
From our vantage point on Earth, the Sun may appear like an unchanging source of light and heat in the sky. But the Sun is a dynamic star, constantly changing and sending energy out into space. The science of studying the Sun and its influence throughout the solar system is called heliophysics. The Sun is […]
Aug 20, 2019 · Our Sun — the source of energy that makes life on Earth possible — has been unusually quiet lately. Astronomers are trying to understand why.
Aug 5, 2016 · In a newly-published article in Science, the researchers say the young plant's sun-tracking (also called heliotropism) can be explained by circadian rhythms – the behavioral changes tied to an...
- Sunspots
- Solar Flares
- Effects of Solar Activity on Earth
Sunspotsare areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun. They appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface. The temperature of a sunspot is still very hot though—around 6,500 degrees Fahrenheit! Why are sunspots relatively cool? It’s because they form at areas where magnetic fields are particularly strong. These ma...
The magnetic field lines near sunspots often tangle, cross, and reorganize. This can cause a sudden explosion of energy called a solar flare. Solar flares release a lot of radiation into space. If a solar flare is very intense, the radiation it releases can interfere with our radio communications here on Earth. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory cap...
When charged particles from a CME reach areas near Earth, they can trigger intense lights in the sky, called auroras. When particularly strong, a CME can also interfere in power utility grids, which at their worst can cause electricity shortages and power outages. Solar flares and CMEs are the most powerful explosions in our solar system.
- Composition. The sun is made up of a blazing combination of gases. These gases are actually in the form of plasma. Plasma is a state of matter similar to gas, but with most of the particles ionized.
- Electromagnetic Radiation. The sun’s energy travels to Earth at the speed of light in the form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The electromagnetic spectrumexists as waves of different frequencies and wavelengths.
- Evolution of the Sun. The sun, although it has sustained all life on our planet, will not shine forever. The sun has already existed for about 4.5 billion years.
- Sun’s Structure. The sun is made up of six layers: core, radiative zone, convective zone, photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. Core. The sun’s core, more than a thousand times the size of Earth and more than 10 times denserthan lead, is a huge furnace.
Feb 2, 2024 · Vocabulary. The sun is an ordinary star, and is just one of about 100 billion in our galaxy, the Milky Way. However, the sun has extremely important influences on our planet: It drives weather, ocean currents, seasons, climate, and makes plant life possible through photosynthesis. Without the sun's heat and light, life would not exist on Earth.
Oct 19, 2023 · The sun is the closest star to Earth. Even at a distance of 150 million kilometers (93 million miles), its gravitational pull holds the planet in orbit. It radiates light and heat, or solar energy, which makes it possible for life to exist on Earth. Plants need sunlight to grow.
