1. Chapter 4
The Sun

2. General Description of the Sun
The Sun’s motion – the sun appears to be moving at a speed of about 300 km/s or 186 mi/s relative to the entire universe.
It appears to be moving toward Hercules.
The sun is a star in the Milky Way galaxy.
Located in one of the spiral arms.

3. The Sun’s Size Diameter: ~1.4 million km or 868,000 miles
109 times larger than the Earth
Why does the Sun appear the same size as the moon?
Because the Sun is 400 times farther away than the moon.
The Sun contains about 99% of all the matter in the solar system.
The Sun is 330,000 times more massive than the Earth.

4. The Sun’s Energy
93% of the Sun’s energy is given off as the electromagnetic spectrum
Given off as waves
Identify: Wavelength, Crest, Trough,
______ _____ ______ B C A

6. Electromagnetic Spectrum
Higher Frequency; Shorter Wavelength
Gamma Rays,
X-Rays
Ultraviolet
Visible:
Infrared
Microwaves
Radio
Lower Frequency; Longer Wavelength
V I B G Y O R

7. The Sun’s Composition
The sun contains the same elements of the earth, just in different proportions.
Hydrogen and helium make up about 98% of the sun’s mass
More than 60 other elements have been identified in the sun

8. Structure of the Sun The sun is NOT simple.
Much more than simply a ball of hydrogen and helium.
It has regions of different temperatures, and its own atmosphere.

9. The Sun’s Surface
Surface made of plasma – super ionized matter not classified as a solid, liquid, or gas
Visible surface of the sun is called the photosphere.
Temperature between 8700 to 10,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
The surface is not plain, rather divided into granules.
Masses of hot plasma rising from the interior to the surface.
“Boiling water”

10. Sunspots
In AD 1611, Johannes Fibricus observed sunspots at about the same time Galileo was observing them.
We are constantly learning more about sunspots using special sun observing instruments.

11. Sunspots Prove the sun is rotating
Not all at the same rate
Cooler than the surrounding photosphere (7600 degrees F. - Still hotter than molten lava)
Appear dark since we see them against such a bright background.

12. Sunspots
Two parts:
Umbra- inner
Penumbra – outer
There is an observable pattern with the number of sunspots reaching a maximum every 11 years on average.
Sunspot Cycle- time between years of maximum sunspots.

13. Sunspots
Sunspots directly affect shortwave radio transmissions on Earth.
Sunspots may affect weather on Earth.
Reduced sunspot activity seems to be historically linked to drought and cold weather.
Observed as far back as the 11th century.

14. Solar Flares Severe storms on the sun.
A sudden energetic outburst of the sun’s matter that emits both rays and particles.
Intensity is greatest during sunspot maximums.
Affect ground based radio communications because of the radiation given off.
Within a few days after an intense flare, there are amazing displays of northern lights (aurora borealis) and southern lights (aurora australis) caused by particles from the flare.

16. Sun’s atmosphere Two parts: Chromosphere
Layer of heated plasma 1200 to 1900 miles thick, right above the photosphere.
Top of this layer consists of pointed jets of plasma called spicules – look like blades of grass.

17. Sun’s atmosphere cont…
Corona
Begins at the top of the chromosphere and continues outward from the sun for millions of killometers in all directions
No clear cut outer edge
Prominence- streams of material that rise into the corona, then fall back into the chromosphere. Form a spectacular display resembling fireworks.
Quiescent
Eruptive.

18. The Sun’s Interior
Cannot directly observe, so models have been made based on observations from satellites.
Most widely accepted model is that the sun has three interior sections: core, radiative zone, and convective zone.

19. Core – Innermost section ¼ the radius of the sun
Area where most of the thermonuclear reactions that generate the sun’s energy take place.
Radiative Zone- energy travels as electromagnetic waves.
Little movement of plasma particles because of the density.

20. Convective zone
Energy heats the plasma in the lower part of this zone.
Plasma then rises to the surface of the photosphere as seething granules.

21. Origin of the Sun
Evolutionary theory- immense clouds of molecular hydrogen collapsing under the influence of gravity to form a dark ball of gas. When enough mass is accumulated, the crushing gravitational force ignites a fusion process and a star is born.
Hubble Space Telescope photograph shows a “Stellar Nursery” in the Eagle Nebula “showing this process in action”

22. Problems with this evolutionary model
Gases tend naturally to disperse, not concentrate into dense mass.
Still no explanation for where the first stars came from.
No scientific evidence that stars are forming in the Eagle Nebula.
Solution - Simply put, stars were supernaturally created- fully formed- during creation.