Features of the Sun6th Grade

The Sun’s Composition

What is a Sunspot?

Sunspots: areas of the sun’s surface that appear darker than

the rest of the Sun’s surface

Why do Sunspots occur?

Sunspots: are areas on the sun’s surface that are cooler than

the gases surrounding them.

Cooler gases do not give off as much light as hotter

gases.

Sunspots look darker than the rest of the photosphere.

Sunspots

Appear and disappear over a period of several days, weeks, or months

How big are Sunspots?

Sunspots

They look small, but some can be larger than the size of the Earth

Even though sunspots are cooler than the rest of the surface layers of the Sun, they are still about 7,000 degrees F (while the sun’s surface is 9,800 degrees F)

What is a PROMINENCE?

Prominence

An arc of gas that erupts from the surface of the sun

Held in place by a strong magnetic field

Prominences

Reddish loops of gas that LINK different parts of sunspot regions

When a group of sunspots is near the edge of the sun as seen from Earth, these loops can be seen extending over the edge of the sun.

ProminencesExtend from the photosphere all the way out to the Sun’s corona

Prominences form in one day and can last between several weeks and a few months

Prominence gases are MUCH cooler than surrounding gases in the corona

Prominences

SOLAR FLARE: a bright spot that appears on the

Sun because of a surface eruption

SOLAR FLARE

A sudden brightening on the sun’s surface caused by an energy release

The energy release heats gas on the sun to up to 24 million degrees Fahrenheit, causing gas to erupt into space

SOLAR FLARES

Cause SOLAR WIND (or a Solar Storm)

Solar Wind:

A stream of energy released by the Sun that escapes sun’s gravity and travels through space

Solar Wind

Caused by the energy produced by SOLAR FLARES

Solar wind travels to Earth and collects at the North and South poles

Travels about 900,000 miles per hour

What protects the Earth from Solar

Wind? We are shielded from most of the solar particles by an invisible “force field” –Earth’s magnetic field

The Earth’s Magnetic Field

Solar Wind causes powerful

phenomena on Earth like…

Auroras

Rippling sheets of light in the sky caused by solar wind in the atmosphere

Only occur at the North and South poles

How Auroras Form

How Auroras Form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5utQxtma2U