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Vocab 2/22
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| nuclear fusion | the process by which nuclei of small atoms combine to form a new more massive nucleus; the process releases energy |
| photosphere | the visible surface of the sun |
| chromosphere | the thin layer of the sun that is just above the photosphere and that glows a reddish color during eclipses |
| corona | the outmost layer of the sun's atmosphere |
| sunspot | a dark area of the photosphere of the sun that is cooler than the surrounding areas and that has a strong magnetic field |
| solar flare | an explosive release of energy that comes from the sun and that associated with magnetic disturbances on the sun's surface |
| coronal mass ejection | coronal gas that is thrown into space from the sun |
| aurora | colored light produced by charged particles from the solar wind and from the magnetosphere that react with and excite the oxygen and nitrogen of Earth's upper atmosphere; usually seen in the sky near Earth's magnetic poles |