The Sun

Like Earth, the Sun has a layered interior and an atmosphere.

Sun's interior

• Core-energy produced, nuclear fusion
• Radiation zone-tightly packed gas where energy from core transferred into electromagnetic radiation.
• Convection zone-outer most layer of interior. hot gas rises, cools at top and sinks again,
• Forming loops moving energy to Sun's surface.

Sun's atmosphere

• Photosphere-inner layer, visible surface layer, gives off light
• Chromosphere-thin middle layer, reddish glow, color sphere
• Corona-outer layer, white halo extends into space, means crown,
• Thins into streams of charged particles called solar winds

Features on the Sun

• Sunspots-dark spots on Sun's surface, areas of cooler gases, cooler gases give off less light.
• Prominences-huge reddish loops of gas that link different sunspot areas
• Solar flares-release of large amounts of magnetic energy, causes gas eruption into space
• Solar flares increase number of particles in the corona, increasing solar winds.

Solar winds can enter Earth's atmosphere at the North and South poles electrically charged particles heat up gases in Earth's atmosphere causing color changes. Auroras.

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