The Sun

PHY 116 (lab 6)
The sun
layers, Solar activity Solar cycle
Spring 2023
The sun
The average distance between the Sun and Earth is 93,000,000 miles (1AU).
It takes about 8.3 minutes for the Sun- born light to reach us at this distance.
You can put 109 earths in it. It has a surface gravity 28 time stronger than that
of Earth.
The Sun orbits the center of our galaxy every 226 million earth years.
The Sun's atmosphere.
1. The corona is the highest layer reaching from 10 KM to 100000KM into
the space.
2. The chromosphere is a thin, transparent layer that extends out 6,000 miles
from the photosphere. One can only see it from Earth when there is a total
eclipse of the Sun.
3. The photosphere is the lowest level of the atmosphere. It is about 300 miles
thick and is the visible surface of the Sun. It is about 10,000 degrees
Fahrenheit.
The sun spots
Sunspots are darker areas found on the photosphere, usually found in groups of
two or more, these spots can last from a few hours to a few months.
They can best be seen during sunrise or sunset. Do not look for them without
expert help and proper instruments! The first observations of sunspots were
recorded in China around 800 BC. Galileo was the first to observe them with a
telescope .
A typical sunspot is as big as our planet. Some have been seen that are as large
as 10 of our planets put together. Some times there are no sun spot sometimes
there are up to 250 of them. So there is a cycle for this.
Solar cycle & Sun’s movements
Solar cycle is different that solar rotation or the sun’s movement

around its own axis which takes place in almost 27 days or like a month.
Why? it is like clouds as all gases are so some moves faster some slower related
to its Internal mechanism.
In addition, the sun or all the solar system orbits around the center of the milky
way in each 226 million years with a speed of 230 Km/hr.
Solar cycle & solar rotation
Solar cycle is all about the sun spot appearing and diapering which happens in
11 years.
Sun have rotation They often appear where solar storms are occurring Sometimes
there are no sunspots on the surface. At other times people have recorded as
many as 250 of them.
There seems to be a pattern of activity that repeats called the sunspot cycle. It is
about 11 years from the start to end. When it is at its higher level of activity it is
called the sunspot maximum.
All this cycle is happening because of the magnetic fields created by the
charged particles or the plasma within the sun
Spicules
Spicules are jets of plasma that reach out as far as 6,000 miles
into space and are up to 600 miles wide.
They are found in the chromosphere, usually they last anywhere

from 5 to 15 minutes.
The largest spicule sometimes lasts eleven minutes, and some of the
smaller ones about two minutes.
Sometimes up to millions of the spicules are seen at the same time.

solar prominences
The sun is entirely made of hydrogen and helium and it is in the form of plasma or
charged particles, these charged particles creates magnetic fields.
Some times as the magnetic fields breaks through sun surface it creates
prominences.
Prominences are arched ionized gases that occur on the limb of the Sun. Magnetic
fields and sunspots supply the energy for them.
solar flayers
A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic
energy associated with sunspots.
Flares are our solar system's largest explosive events. They are seen as bright areas on
the sun and they can last from minutes to hours. Solar flares are tremendous explosions
of light, radiation and particles.
They can reach a height up to 200,000 miles and can produce more energy than our
world can create in 100,000 years. Flares can send out 20 billion tons of matter into
space during an eruption.
These flares have a life span of only a few minutes. They are mostly seen when there is
an abundance of sunspot activity.
Creating auroras
An aurora is a natural light display that shimmers in the sky. Blue, red, yellow,
green, and orange lights shift gently and change shape like softly blowing curtains.
Auroras are only visible at night, and usually only appear in lower polar regions.
Auroras occur when charged particles (electrons and protons) collide with gases
in Earth's upper atmosphere.
Those collisions produce tiny flashes that fill the sky with colorful light. As billions of
flashes occur in sequence, the auroras appear to move or " dance " in the sky.
The end of the sun
he Sun will someday switch over completely burning helium and will turn red
in color. The temperature will drop, and the star will dramatically expand.
The closest three planets that presently are orbiting the Sun will be actually
end up within our sun!
Then the Sun change to A white dwarf burning the last of its hydrogen.
Near the end of its nuclear burning stage, this type of star expels most of its
outer material, creating a planetary nebula. Only the hot core of the star
remains
The end of the sun
Eventually, the sunlight will flicker and dim. Finally it will end up being a
black, burned out, cinder ball in space.
The Sun is about half way through its life cycle. It has a little less than 5
billion years of life to go.
Right now it is nearly as bright as it will ever be. It is brighter now than 2
billion years ago and it is brighter than it will be 2 billion years in the
future.
Questions 447
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PHY 116 (lab 6)

Solar cycle is different that solar rotation or the sun’s movement

They are found in the chromosphere, usually they last anywhere

Sometimes up to millions of the spicules are seen at the same time.

Thanks for listening

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