features of the sun 6 th grade. the sun’s composition
TRANSCRIPT
Cooler gases do not give off as much light as hotter
gases.
Sunspots look darker than the rest of the photosphere.
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)
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
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 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
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
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5utQxtma2U