Sun – Nature Noon

7 Layers of the Sun in Order Explained

These are the 7 layers of the Sun in order. From the interior of the Sun to the corona layer. So if you want to understand all 7 layers of the Sun, then you’re in the right place. Let’s jump right in! 7 Layers of the Sun in Order Explained in Simple Terms Our Sun is a beautifully complex star: Keeping itself alive via nuclear fuel, the Sun is a vast system of layers and fascinating processes. But, while complex, understanding the Sun, in general, is exciting and straightforward. To start, here’s an overview of the 7 layers of the sun: Let’s dive in and examine all the layers of the Sun in order. #1 Solar Core of the Sun First, let’s dive deep and explore the interior of the Sun. Three layers, a core, radiative zone, and convective zone, comprise the insides of our star. Deep within the Sun’s interior lies the core. Initially, all the power, energy, and heat generated by the Sun is born here. In other words, the core is the Sun’s heart. Pressures and temperatures are at their highest levels within the core. In fact, the temperature at the core can reach a staggering 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. Under such extreme conditions, atoms move so quickly and are squeezed so tightly that their nuclei are smashed together. But, instead of destroying each other, the two atoms combine to form heavier, more complex atoms. In the case of our Sun, hydrogen is constantly fused into helium. This process, called nuclear fusion, is the lifeblood fuel of all stars. Finally, as the atoms combine, they release excess energy to remain stable. In the end, this excess energy will become the light and heat we experience here on Earth. Due to the massive size of our Sun, it creates tremendous gravity, constantly pushing inward on itself. However, the core’s powerful nuclear fusion is constantly pushing outward. Ultimately, the Sun stays alive in this delicate balance of inward gravity and outward nuclear energy. #2 Radiative Zone of the Sun Next, beyond the core lies the radiative zone. At this point, density, pressure, and the temperature gradually decrease. Now, the energy created from the core’s nuclear fusion is carried through the radiative zone. At this point, the energy is now in the form of electromagnetic radiation. In other words, energy has become light, carried by photons, traveling outward towards the surface. Though not as dense as the core, the radiative zone remains extremely dense. In fact, core-generated light takes around 100,000 years to bounce through the radiative zone. #3 Convective Zone of the Sun Finally, light energy reaches the outer-most layer of the Sun’s interior, the convective zone. Now, density becomes low enough for light to convert into heat. The newly-formed heat slowly cools as it rises toward the Sun’s surface. Eventually, as it cools enough, it falls back down toward the radiative zone, heating up once more. This rise-fall cycle, known as convection, continues repeatedly. As energy rises, cools, falls, and heats, it forms gigantic bubble patterns, known as convection cells. We see a similar process happening in a pot of boiling water. As the water boils, rolling bubbles of hot water form like convection cells. #4 Exterior of the Sun Now, we can burst free and explore the Sun’s exterior. Three layers also comprise the Sun’s atmosphere: Photosphere Chromosphere Corona #5 Photosphere of the Sun Greek for “light sphere,” the photosphere is the layer of the Sun that we are most familiar with, usually through pictures. Visible light first appears in the photosphere. Though unsafe to look at, the photosphere is where our human eyes see the Sun’s light and brightness. Also, this layer is covered in skin-like granules caused by convection cells beneath. In fact, these granules last only around eight minutes, causing the constantly changing surface patterns on the Sun. Temperatures in the lower photosphere are around 11,000º F, whereas temperatures near the top stay around 6,700º F. Also, sunspots occur within the Sun’s photosphere. Appearing as darker regions, sunspots last for several days, maintaining temperatures 3,600º F lower than their surroundings. In fact, a sunspot’s center is thousands of times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field. #6 Chromosphere of the Sun Next, beyond the photosphere lies the chromosphere. This complex layer extends outward for over 3,000 miles. Now, temperatures in the Sun’s chromosphere suddenly jump from 10,000º F to around 36,000º F. At temperatures, this high, hydrogen atoms radiate as rich red colors. Therefore, the red emissions give this layer its name, Greek for “color sphere.” The chromosphere appears faint against the bright photosphere background. Typically, to visually see this layer and its activity, special equipment is required. Using solar telescopes and spectrographs, for instance, can reveal features such as dark filaments, magnetic field lines, and more. However, such advanced equipment can be both expensive and complicated to use. But, with simple and inexpensive eyeglasses, anybody can view the chromosphere during partial and total solar eclipses. #7 Corona of the Sun Finally, we reach the Sun’s corona, Latin for “crown.” Similar to the chromosphere, the elusive corona is most often visible during an eclipse. This layer appears as a white crown around the Sun, which is actually hot plasma. Strangely, temperatures in the corona swell to nearly 2 million degrees Fahrenheit. At these temperatures, elements like hydrogen and helium are stripped of their electrons, leaving a bare nucleus. Only much heavier elements, like iron, are capable of staying intact. Ultimately, the energy from the stripped electrons causes the staggering temperatures in the corona. However, the corona provides several fascinating and interesting features. For instance, large spikes of plasma, called streamers, shoot far out from the Sun. Plasma trapped by the Sun’s magnetic fields creates the spike shapes. Perhaps most notable, the corona is ultimately responsible for our aurora borealis on Earth. As charged particles flow outward from the corona, they travel far into space. In fact, the winds carry far beyond Neptune and even Pluto. And, as some of the powerful solar winds hit Earth’s atmosphere, they interact with …

Astronomy

Living On the Sun (What Would Life Be on the Sun?)

This is about how it would be to live on the Sun. How about a homeland that burns its nuclear fuel until it runs out and then violently collapses? So if you want to know how life on Sun might be, this article is for you. Let’s get started! What Would It Be Like To Live on the Sun? So, you have decided to live in the solar system’s most extreme environment? Well, what would it be like living on the Sun? Firstly, no humans could ever inhabit the Sun. It is a star. Scalding temperatures, nuclear processes, and unexpected lethal bursts make the Sun a deadly world. Yet, it would be unjust to not cover our cosmic mother in our guide to life beyond Earth. Therefore, use your imagination to pretend that we now have remarkable technologies. You have acquired tools to help you withstand unbelievable radiation and heat. A reinforced, floating dome-like structure will serve as your new house and keep you free of the many dangers. Without further ado, pack your bags, load the trucks, let’s find out what it would be like, living on the Sun: Sun – Quick Facts Distance from Sun: 0 miles Text Message to Earth: Takes about 8 min. Mass: 330,000 x Earth Width: 109 x Earth Gravity: Over 300% of Earth Length of Day: n/a Length of Year: n/a Average Temperature: 9,938º F Pressure: Unknown Moons: 0 Rings: 0 Charming Historical Value For thousands of years, ancient civilizations worshiped your new homeland. Constructing temples, monuments, art, and more, the Sun has been a god-like figure in human life history. Not to mention, ancient and modern calendar systems alike are all based on your newly-chosen home. Plants, animals, foods, and anything else in human life all exist courtesy of the Sun. Plus, even on cloudy days, human beings see and feel your home every day of their lives. Even people without eyesight feel its motherly warmth on their bodies. Your new home is easily the single most iconic piece of astronomical history. If the solar system were the United States, you have selected to live in colonial Williamsburg. Scouting Your New Neighborhood Deciding where you will be living on the Sun is simple: really hot, or extremely hot? Dangerous or impossibly dangerous? Three main regions make up your home: Interior Atmosphere Surface Sun’s Interior First, the interior is made of the core, radiative zone, and convective zone. Simply by the oven-like names, we can infer that the interior is not a desirable living space. Plus, the core temperature rings in around 27 million degrees. In conditions, these extreme elements are crushed into heavier elements via nuclear fusion. This process is the lifeblood of your new home. It’s the fuel that keeps the Sun alive. But, you do not want to be anywhere remotely near this process. Trust us. Sun’s Atmosphere Alternatively, the Sun’s atmosphere has several layers: Chromosphere Photosphere Corona. Named after the Greek word chroma, meaning “color,” the chromosphere is the first layer. The chromosphere gives off a red hue where the scorching-hot hydrogen emerges from the Sun’s interior. Next comes a small zone separating the lower and upper atmosphere, the photosphere. Greek for “light sphere,” the photosphere is where the Sun’s powerful energy radiates as visible light. Surprisingly, this layer is the “mild” region at a chilly 9,900º F. Finally, the temperature leaps rapidly to a few million degrees to form the corona, Greek for “crown.” This thickest atmospheric layer is where the Sun’s solar wind is generated. But, this is not typical wind. Instead, it is a stream of plasma and radiation that flows across the entire solar system. After examining these luxurious locales, you decide the photosphere is your dreamland. Pack your bags and load the truck. Your Typical Day, Night, and Year on the Sun Now, you live on the actual object that all planets orbit. Therefore, your home itself is the cause of days, nights, and years in the solar system. In other words, you now live on the day, you live on the night, and you live on a year. And, other than some of your layers and regions rotating, your home has no calendar of any kind. Instead, your new homeland simply burns its nuclear fuel until it runs out. Yes, it does have an expiration date, but you still have around 5 billion years left. Our Sun is called a main-sequence star. Basically, it’s middle-aged, still in its prime. But, more on that later. Let’s get out and do some sight-seeing: Exploring Features and Phenomenon of the Sun Immediately, you notice darker portions randomly appearing right in your own photosphere. These are sunspots. At nearly 3,000 degrees cooler than their surroundings, sunspots can be a great place to take a break and chill out. Plus, they can be 31,000 miles wide, so fitting friends and family should not be an issue. Next, you suddenly notice a gigantic tentacle extending out from your home region. Extending out for hundreds of thousands of miles, you have just witnessed your first solar prominence. However, keep your distance, as it is made of electrically charged hydrogen and plasma. Yikes! Finally, you need to rush back to your safe home dome. Your local news has just informed you that a coronal mass ejection is expected tonight. Randomly, your new home gathers massive amounts of pent-up energy and ejects it in a devastating explosion. Magnetically- and electrically-charged material blasts outward for millions of miles. Sure, snap some breathtaking photos, but whatever you do, stay far away. These explosions are even powerful enough to damage power and communications on Earth. Planning for the Future Depending on when you make a move, living on the Sun requires long-term planning. As mentioned previously, the Sun operates purely on nuclear fuel. However, like all things, this fuel eventually expires and runs out. At this point, your precious home is no longer safe. In fact, it will self-destruct and violently collapse. Aside from destroying your resale value, everything around you will also evaporate. Similar to all stars of this size, the Sun’s fuel will run out. It will expand to be several times its current size as …

Astronomy

10 Fascinating Facts About the Sun

These are 10 fascinating facts about the Sun. From the Sun being our Solar System down to the Sun one day destroying the Earth. So if you want to learn 10 fascinating facts about our Sun, then this article is for you. Let’s get started! 10 Sun Facts All of us have experienced the Sun. We see it in the sky. We feel its warmth on our skin. But, our home star is also filled to the brim with cool facts. So, here are 10 fascinating facts about the Sun! #1 Our Sun Is Middle-Aged The Sun is a type G2V main-sequence star. In other words, our Sun is currently middle-aged. Main sequence stars are in their prime, alive and well. But, unlike humans, middle-aged stars, like the Sun, are around 5 billion years old. #2 The Sun IS the Solar System It is no secret that the Sun is gigantic. But, how gigantic? Well, the Sun makes up a whopping 99.8% of all the mass in our solar system. So, Jupiter, Earth, Neptune, and everything else only account for a measly 0.2%. Yep, that’s big. #3 How Much Bigger Is the Sun Than Earth? Nearly 1.3 million Earths could fit inside the Sun. Not to mention, the Sun is considered to be a rather “average” sized star in our universe. #4 The Sun Is a Gigantic 100% Green Factory Our Sun, like every star, runs on fuel. However, the Sun’s fuel is a process called nuclear fusion. The extreme pressure inside of the Sun is strong enough to smash hydrogen atoms together to form heavier helium atoms. And, upon smashing, excess energy is released as radiation. This radiation is the heat that flows from the Sun, heating Earth and helping life flourish. #5 Our Sun Will Become a Colorful Cloud of Gas Eventually, when our Sun begins to die, it will shed its outer layers. At this point, it will become a planetary nebula, which is a massive sphere of gas. Next, the newly shed materials will be heated to millions of degrees, glowing in various colors. Of course, this will not happen for billions of years, but what a sight. #6 One Day, the Sun Will Destroy Earth But, never fear, you’ve got 5 to 7 billion years to prepare. Eventually, when the Sun runs out of hydrogen to “burn” as fuel, it will turn into a red giant star. This type of star is much cooler but is truly enormous in size. Upon reaching its massive new size, the newly red Sun will expand out far enough to completely engulf and incinerate Earth. #7 One Day, the Sun Will Destroy Earth After going “red giant,” (see above), the Sun’s leftovers will remain as a white dwarf. When stars die, their own powerful gravity crashes in on themselves. Now, the compact leftovers are an extremely dense white dwarf star, typically around the size of an average planet. #8 The Sun Is Really Fast Yes, we all learn about planets orbiting the Sun. But have you ever wondered how fast the Sun moves through space? After all, the Sun is orbiting the center of our Milky Way galaxy. And, in its travels, the Sun is speeding at around 480,000 miles per hour. But, even at this wild rate, it takes the Sun 230 million years to complete one galactic orbit. #9 Northern Lights Are Caused by the Sun We have all seen the beautiful aurora borealis (or northern lights) of Alaska and other regions. But, did you know the Sun causes these wonderful light shows? As the Sun blows its powerful solar wind, it hits Earth’s atmosphere, and the particles interact. The result of these interactions is the colorful swirls in the northern skies. #10 How Hot Is the Sun? Everyone has felt the Sun’s warmth. We all know it is scalding-hot. But did you know the core of the Sun can reach 27 million degrees? At this temperature, the strongest metals (steel, iron, titanium) would melt instantly. If it were not for the Sun’s own gravity pushing inward, it would explode like a gigantic nuclear bomb.

Astronomy

What Does a Red Sun Mean?

This is what a red Sun means. Have you ever seen a red Sun? So if you want to know why the Sun might be red and what it means, then this article is for you. Keep reading! First, What Actually Is the Sun? The Sun is the perfect sphere of hot plasma right in the center of our solar system. Basically, it is a giant, gaseous fireball. Even so, it actually has cold spots on it, believe it or not. These cold places on the Sun are called sunspots. Here are some important facts about this wonderful star: Its diameter is 109 times that of Earth (865 miles/1.39 million kilometers). The mass of this star is 330,000 times that of Earth. Roughly 73% of the Sun’s mass consists of hydrogen. The rest is mostly helium (25%), with much smaller quantities of heavier elements, including oxygen, carbon, neon, and iron. The Sun’s core fuses about 600 million tons of hydrogen into helium every second, converting four million tons of matter into energy every second. Why Does the Sun Appear Red? According to Johannes Kepler, the planets revolve around the Sun in an elliptical orbit. We can prove his solar system model is true by examining different phenomena that happen in our solar system. Due to the elliptical orbits, Earth’s distance from the Sun at perihelion (closest to the Sun) and aphelion (farthest from the Sun) is greater than the vertical distance. So at the time of sunrise, the light rays from the Sun have to travel a greater distance in the Earth’s atmosphere before reaching our eyes. This is because the Sun at the horizon will be at a greater distance between the observer and the Sun. In this journey, the white light coming from the Sun has a VIBGYOR pattern. In this pattern, the shorter wavelength and lower speed of blue light cause it to scatter around in the sky. The red light, which has a longer wavelength and a higher speed, reaches our eyes first, and we see a red Sun. When the Sun comes overhead, there is a shorter distance between the observer and the Sun because of the elliptical orbit. At that time, the Sun appears white because there is very little blue light scattered around. When the Sun gets returns to the horizon in the west, the same thing happens again. The distance between our eyes and the Sun increases the red light because of its longer wavelength and faster speed, so what reaches our eyes is the red light, so the Sun appears to be red. Below is a visual to help explain this: The wavelengths of different colors along the visible light spectrum are provided below: Color Wavelength Frequency Violet 380-450 nm 668-789 THz Blue 450-495 nm 606-668 THz Green 495-570 nm 526-606 THz Yellow 570-590 nm 508-526 THz Orange 590-620 nm 484-508 THz Red 620-750 nm 400-484 THz There is another reason the Sun can get red even in the daytime. When dust particles or smoke fills the atmosphere, the longer wavelength of light, which looks red, scatter more effectively. So we see that the Sun is red. It is why we can see spectacular sunsets in a desert environment. Different people have superstitions about see a red Sun. For example, in Korea, people once believed that a red Sun brings bad luck. In many ancient societies, the color red was often associated with shamanistic power and the ability to ward off evil spirits or bad luck. But, why could the color diffraction caused by rays of light going through the dust and pollution in the atmosphere be an “omen,” good or bad? Why do people think that there are such things as “omens”? To answer these questions, we have to remember that people had to develop ways to explain the natural phenomenon without the scientific explanations we have today, which often led to today’s beliefs categorize as myths or superstitions. However, in science, everything happens for a reason. There must be a cause for something to happen. Many times those ancient peoples were not entirely wrong. These unusual phenomena could have some direct effect on the world around them. However, without scientific explanations, omens and similar responses were often the best those ancient people could do to explain those unusual occurrences, like a red Sun. What Is a Blood Moon? Some people claim that a blood moon is a sign for the beginning of the end times. This idea originates in the Book of Joel. The sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and the terrible day of the Lord comes. Joel 2:30-31 When this was written, there was no other explanation for this phenomenon. You have to admit it does look pretty scary. However, today we know that a blood moon, based upon scientific investigation, is nothing more than the scattering of light reflected through dust particles. In other words, it’s not scary at all. In fact, it’s fascinating, don’t you think.