The Sun and Earth
Our very own STAR Our sun is a star Located in the Milky Way Galaxy Large ball of gas made mostly of hydrogen and helium held together by gravity
The structure of the sun Layers Core Radiative Zone Convective Zone Photosphere Chromosphere Corona
Energy Production Nuclear fusion – process by which two nuclei with small masses (hydrogen) join together to form a larger, more massive nucleus (helium). Produces a lot of energy Energy leaves the sun as light, takes 8.3 minutes to reach Earth
Sunspots Cooler, dark spots on the sun's surface Related to changes in the magnetic properties of the sun Solar flares – giant storms on the surface, send out huge streams of particles which interact with Earth's atmosphere, causing auroras
Solar flares
Formed from the accumulation of planetesimals EARTH Formed from the accumulation of planetesimals
Earth and its interior layers Core Mantle Crust
Atmosphere A big difference between Earth 4.6 billion years ago and today is the composition of the atmosphere Planetary degassing – gasses like water vapor, CO2, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen were released from the interior of Earth from volcanoes and other processes
Earth's atmosphere today Today the atmosphere is composed of oxygen, nitrogen, and other gases that allow for life to exist Ozone layer – protects us from UV rays With the emergence of plants, oxygen levels began to rise
Atmospheric layers