Question | Answer |
Is the Sun a small star, an average sized star or a large star? | Average sized |
How large is the Sun? | 1.3 million times the size of the Earth |
What is the closest star to the Earth? | the Sun |
What is electromagnetic radiation? | energy emitted from the Sun, makes electromagnetic spectrum |
What are gamma rays? | The strongest kind of electromagnetic waves |
Stronger waves? | Smaller waves |
Weaker waves? | Longer waves |
What is the Sun made of? | Plasma (hot gas-like substance) |
How long is a full rotation of the Sun? | 25 days |
What is the core? | innermost layer of Sun, source of all Sun's energy |
Where does the Sun get its energy from? | Nuclear fusion |
What is nuclear fusion? | When hydrogen's atoms fuse to form helium atoms |
Hottest part of the Sun? | the core |
how hot is the core? | 15 million degrees celsius |
How much energy does the Sun have? | enough for 5 billion years |
What is the radiative zone? | The first layer surrounding the core |
Where does the radiative zone get its energy from? | the core |
How long does it take energy to reach each zone? | 1 million years |
What is the convective zone? | The region where hotter substances rise and cooler substances sink |
Hotter substances? | Less dense |
Cooler substances? | More dense |
What is the photosphere? | The surface of the Sun, outer visible layer |
How hot is the photosphere? | 6000 degrees celsius |
Why is the photosphere constantly bubbling? | Because the heat from the interior is escaping into space |
What is the chromosphere? | The first (inner) atmosphere of the Sun, is above photosphere, 2000 km thick |
What is the corona? | Outer atmosphere of sun, millions of km in space |
What is a solar flare? | Violent eruption of hot gases + charged particles |
Where do solar flares usually occur? | Near sunspots |
Why do solar flares occur? | Changing magnetic field |
Where do solar flares appear? | on the surface of the Sun |
Where do solar flares come from? | The inner parts of the Sun |
How long do Solar flares last? | a short time |
What are sun spots? | dark, temporary depressions on photosphere |
What causes sun spots? | Caused by magnetic activity which act to reduce temperature, making area darker and cooler in comparison |
What are solar prominences? | Large clouds of lower energy glowing gas erupting from upper chromosphere + extending thousands of km |
What is a solar wind? | stream of charged particles ejected from upper atmosphere of Sun |
What causes Aurora Borealis/Australis? | When Sun's particles mix with particles in Earth's atmosphere during solar winds |
Why is the Sun important for life on Earth? | Provides heat, energy, light, climate and nutrition |
Range of Sun's temperatures? | 5500 degrees celsius - 15 million degrees celsius |
Where are Auroras found? | Near the North and South poles |
How are satellites affected by solar activity? | Communication satellites are affected by activity on the Sun's surface when particles from the Sun reach Earth's atmosphere, through solar winds. This damages microchips on satellites, and interrupts cell phones, radio and television |