The Sun
The Sun’s Atmosphere (Outermost region of Solar Gases) 3 Layers Photosphere: inner layer, visible light, 6000ºC Chromosphere: reddish, middle layer, 50,000ºC Corona: outer crown, cloud of gas, magnetic field, 2,000,000ºC
The Sun’s Layers
Sunspots Cool dark areas of gas within the photosphere Magnetic fields slow down convection and gases don’t get heated up in the core Up to 100,000 km in diameter (bigger than Earth) Moving Sunspots = Sun Rotates Number of Sunspots = 11 year cycle
Solar Prominences Huge arches that reach above the sun’s surface follow curved lines of magnetic force from one sunspot to another last from weeks to years
Solar Flares Sudden eruption of electrically charged atomic particles shoot up several kilometers last for under an hour occur near sunspots some particles escape Solar Wind
Solar Eclipses
Auroras
Why do we have Auroras? Solar Wind: charged particles from the sun are blowing towards us The Magnetosphere: the magnetic field around Earth changes shape because of the solar wind
An Aurora is a lot like a Neon Sign the electrons are pushed towards the magnetic poles they react with the gases in the ionosphere and then give off light
Auroras in the Northern Hemisphere Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights Mostly seen in Greenland, Alaska, Scandinavia, Russia, N.Canada
Auroras in the Southern Hemisphere Aurora Australis or Southern Lights Mostly seen in Antarctica, New Zealand, tips of South America and South Africa
Auroras Near Us On Nov. 4, 2001 there was a huge solar storm On Nov. 5th and 6th auroras could be seen as far south as Florida, Texas, and S.California California Lowell, MI
Lowell, Mi
Dalton, Georgia
Yukon, Canada
How often do we see auroras? 90°W Longitude Moderate Auroral Activity 0530 Universal Time (UT) or Greenwich Mean Time Occasionally Most auroras are seen near the polar regions