THE SUN AND STARS

And anything I want to put in here.

STRUCTURE OF THE SUN

The sun is 93 million miles from earth, how do we

know so much about it?

Scientist look at the sun’s light with a device

called a spectrograph. Dark lines form in the

spectra of stars when gases in the stars’ outer

layers absorb specific wavelengths of the light that

passes through the layers

Each element present in the sun will

produce a unique pattern of spectral

lines. Scientist can use the lines to

identify the elements in the stars

atmosphere

The sun’s mass is about 99%

hydrogen and helium, as a matter of

fact, all stars contain hydrogen and

helium

THE SUN’S INTERIOR

The sun’s interior can not be seen by

scientist, but computer models have

revealed possibly what it would be like.

Using information from the surface,

scientist can deduce what must be

happening inside to produce such effects.

Three parts to the sun’s interior:

core, radiative zone and convective

zone.

C O R E

Diameter: 1,390,000 km

Temperature: 15,000,0000C

Mass: 300,000 times greater than earth

Core is so dense with ionized gases you could

stand on it

Because of the high temperature and

pressure, nuclear reaction occur, nuclear

fusion.

R A D I AT I V E Z O N E

Energy from the core is radiated to

this zone.

Temperature ranges form 2,000,000

0C to 7,000,0000C

Energy moves outward in the form of

eletromagnetic waves called radiation.

CONVECTIVE ZONE

Energy that is produced in the core moves

through this zone by convection

Carries hot gases to the surface of the earth

Temperature: 2,000,0000C

Gases rise and sink because they cool as

they move to the sun’s surface.

THE SUN’S ATMOSPHERE

Although the sun is made of

gases, the term atmosphere

refers to the uppermost region of

the solar gases. This region has 3

layers: photosphere,

chromosphere, and the corona.

PHOTOSPHERE

The innermost layer of the solar

atmosphere is the photosphere

Temperature: 6,0000C

Part visible from earth, gives off visible

light

Has sunspots

CHROMOSPHERE

Chromosphere lies above the photosphere.

Temperature: 4,000 to 5,0000C

Glows reddish, gases move away from the

photosphere

Gases of the chromosphere will shot out

CORONA

The corona is the outermost layer of

the sun’s atmosphere.

Temperature: 1,000,0000C

Only visible during an eclipse

Escaping particles, ion, blow away

forming the solar wind.

ASSIGNMENT

Go to Page 758

Sketch and label the drawing.

HOW THE SUN GET ENERGY

A powerful atomic process know as

nuclear fusion occurs inside the sun.

Because of the high temperature and

pressure, nuclei are opened and particles

are changed and energy is released

Step1: Two hydrogen nuclei or protons,

collide and fuse. ( the positive charge of

one of the protons is neutralized as that

proton emits a particle called a positron.

As a result, the proton becomes a

neutron and changes the original two

protons into a proton neutron pair.

Step2: Another proton combines with

this proton neutron pair to produce a

nucleus made up of 2 proton and one

neutron.

Step 3. two nuclei made up of two

protons and one neutron collide and

fuse

As this fusion happens, two protons are

released. The remaining two protons and two

neutrons are fused together and form a

helium nucleus and energy is releases

Go to Page757 for mini lab explaining the

process

http://youtu.be/pusKlK1L5To

MASS CHANGING INTO ENERGY

Only 70% of the mass of the hydrogen

is converted to helium during nuclear

fusion. What happens to the 30% left?

It is changed into energy. Remember…

Matter is neither created or destroyed.

In 1905, Albert Einstein

proposed an explanation for the

production of energy. The theory

become knows as Relativity.

E = mc2 Where E is energy, m is

mass and c2 is the speed of light.

CALCULATIONS

Mass of 6 hydrogens = 6.042

4.03176

Mass of helium= 4.002602

4.03176-4.002602=.029158

CALCULATIONS

E =2.040 x186,0002= bazillion X 107

This is the energy made. Millions of

atoms are converted per second producing

tons of energy. The number above is for

only one Helium being produced. #WOW!

SOLAR ACTIVITY

The sun is a ball of hot gases rather than a

solid sphere, not all locations on the sun

rotate at the same speed. Places close to

the equator on the surface of the sun take

25.3 earth days to rotate once. On average,

the sun rotates once every 27 days.

SUNSPOTS

The movement of gases within the

convective zone and the movements

caused by the sun’s rotation

produce magnetic fields. There

magnetic fields

Cause convection to slow in parts

of the convective zone. Slower

convection produces cool areas.

The cooler areas of the sun appear

darker and are called sunspots.

Sunspot activity appears to

follow an 11 year cycle ,

slowing increasing then

decreasing their

numbers.

SOLAR EJECTIONS

Because of the continuing

changes in the magnetic field,

there are 3 types of solar ejections

produced: prominences, solar

flares and coronal mass ejections.

PROMINENCES

Great clouds of glowing gases, called

prominences, form huge arches that reach

high above the sun’s surface. Each arch

follows curved lines of magnetic force from

a region of opposite polarity to another.

SOLAR FLARES

The most violent of all solar

disturbances is a solar flare, a

sudden outward eruption of

electrically charged particles, such

as electrons and protons

Solar flares release the energy

stored in the strong magnetic

fields of sunspots. During peak

of sunspot activity, there may be

5-10 sunspots a day

CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

Coronal mass ejections are

parts of the corona thrown

off by the sun. CME’s are

full of electrons

Which interact with the

earth’s magnetosphere. This

produces geomagnetic storms,

which can interfere with radio

communication and power lines

AURORAS

A spectacular effect occurs

between the solar wind and Earth’s

magnetosphere – Aurora. The

electrically charged particles from

the

Solar winds interact with

earths magnetic field. The

electrons strike the gases in

the atmosphere and produce

beautiful dancing light