Solar Details
The sun's influence extends to the limits of the solar systemlts teardrop-shaped heliosphere, created by solar wind and filled with its magnetic field, stretches through the solar system, past pluto.
Regions of this magnetic field rice through the photosphere-the part of the sun that is visible to the unaided human eye- into the transparent corona, forming tangled loops that constantly break and reconnect. this field is probably responsible for many of the sun's most dramatic features.
Dark regions known as sunspots and bright active areas appear where the field breaks through the photosphere. Enormous loops of gas called prominences and filaments, some of them many times larger than Earth, also shoot forth (as shown below) Huge explosions that are known as solar flares erupt.
The sun is now about halfway through its life. In another five billion years or so, it will run out of hydrogen to fuel its fusion. When that happens, the sun's core will collapse and its outer layers will cool and expand.turning it into a red giant star. Eventually, the outer layers will float away from the core, leaving behind a white dwarf star.
Solar flares are sudden eruptions on the surface of the sun, such as those shown below and opposite. Typically occurring during the peak of the sunspot cycle, these violent releases of energy eject billions of tons of charged particles at more than 600 miles per second into space, as well as spewing out radiation ranging from radio waves to x-rays.
A flare usually lasts only a few minutes. in that time, its temperature can reach several million kelvins. (for comparison, note that the highest recorded temperature on earth, 136 degree F, is equal to only about 331 degree K.)
The charged particles of a solar fiare some times extend to earth's magnetic field, which can cause auroras and geomagnetic storms, disrupt satellite communications, and endanger asstronauts in space.
Unusually large solar flares can have broader consequences on earth. for example, on october 28,2003, a huge solar flare shot highly charged energetic particles right at our planet. Airplanes were diverted away from the poles because passengers would have been exposed to increased radiation, A power blackout occurred in sweden, and some satellites were damaged. Even the Hubble space Telescope had to be placed in its '' safe'' mode to protect its delicate electronics.
Solar wind occurs when atomic particles stream out from the sun's corona. Agust can amount to one million tons of matter per second.
Solar wind consists mostly of protons and electrons, with tiny amounts of sillicon, sulfur, calcium, chromium, nickel, neon, and argon ions. It travels up to 540 miles a second-fastest when escaping through coronal holes.
Regions of this magnetic field rice through the photosphere-the part of the sun that is visible to the unaided human eye- into the transparent corona, forming tangled loops that constantly break and reconnect. this field is probably responsible for many of the sun's most dramatic features.
Dark regions known as sunspots and bright active areas appear where the field breaks through the photosphere. Enormous loops of gas called prominences and filaments, some of them many times larger than Earth, also shoot forth (as shown below) Huge explosions that are known as solar flares erupt.
The sun is now about halfway through its life. In another five billion years or so, it will run out of hydrogen to fuel its fusion. When that happens, the sun's core will collapse and its outer layers will cool and expand.turning it into a red giant star. Eventually, the outer layers will float away from the core, leaving behind a white dwarf star.
- What are Solar Flares?
Solar flares are sudden eruptions on the surface of the sun, such as those shown below and opposite. Typically occurring during the peak of the sunspot cycle, these violent releases of energy eject billions of tons of charged particles at more than 600 miles per second into space, as well as spewing out radiation ranging from radio waves to x-rays.
A flare usually lasts only a few minutes. in that time, its temperature can reach several million kelvins. (for comparison, note that the highest recorded temperature on earth, 136 degree F, is equal to only about 331 degree K.)
The charged particles of a solar fiare some times extend to earth's magnetic field, which can cause auroras and geomagnetic storms, disrupt satellite communications, and endanger asstronauts in space.
Unusually large solar flares can have broader consequences on earth. for example, on october 28,2003, a huge solar flare shot highly charged energetic particles right at our planet. Airplanes were diverted away from the poles because passengers would have been exposed to increased radiation, A power blackout occurred in sweden, and some satellites were damaged. Even the Hubble space Telescope had to be placed in its '' safe'' mode to protect its delicate electronics.
- What is Solar Wind?
Solar wind occurs when atomic particles stream out from the sun's corona. Agust can amount to one million tons of matter per second.
Solar wind consists mostly of protons and electrons, with tiny amounts of sillicon, sulfur, calcium, chromium, nickel, neon, and argon ions. It travels up to 540 miles a second-fastest when escaping through coronal holes.
Where Solar wind encounters planetary magnetic fields,it can cause auroras.It also makes the tails of comets point away from the sun.
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