1. Solar atmosphere

2. Objectives
You will gain a deeper understanding of Solar processes that occur above the surface of the Sun
You will write and discuss vocabulary based on Solar processes that occur above the surface of the Sun

3. Layers of the atmosphere
Divided into 5 layers
Temperature Minimum
Chromosphere
Transition Region
Corona
Heliosphere

4. Temperature Minimum
Starts at the surface of the Sun and extends to about 500 km
Average temperature 4100K
Simple molecules like Carbon Monoxide and Water exist in this layer

5. Chromosphere Starts at 500 km and goes to 2000km
Just above the Photosphere of the Sun
This layer is to thin to be seen in normal circumstances

6. Chromosphere Note the reddish pink color
Only visible during total eclipses or with special equipment

7. Chromosphere
Taken during the eclipse of 1999

8. Transition region
Gravity ceases to be the dominant force in this region
Magnetism takes over
Temperature jumps to almost 1,000,000 K in this region

9. Transition region
TRACE 19.5 nm wavelength image of the solar corona with a dark prominence at lower center. The transition region is visible as a low, bright fog over the surface of the Sun and as a thin bright nimbus around the prominence itself. The large, bright structures are magnetic loops in the solar corona.

10. corona Latin for “Crown” No defined altitude above the Sun
1-3 million K
We don’t know what causes this heating

11. corona
Larger image of 1999 Eclipse

12. corona Visible during an eclipse or with special equipment
The most turbulent area of the Sun

13. corona Coronal loops are the results of magnetic storms on the Sun
1000’s of times bigger than Earth

14. corona
This is also where solar flares come from (also called Coronal Mass Ejections)
A portion of the Corona is excited and jumps up from the surface
These usually only last 15 or so minutes but can cause serious problems on Earth

15. corona

16. heliosphere This area encompasses the entire Solar System
It is the entire region of space that is influenced by the Sun
Voyager 1 left this region on August 25, 2012

17. Voyager 1 This probe was launched in 1977
Designed to tour the solar system and then head out into interstellar (between the stars) space
Discovered to have left the solar system last year