KEY CONCEPT

The Sun is our local star.

Sunshine State
STANDARDS
SC.B.1.3.3: The student
knows the various
forms in which energy
comes to Earth from
the Sun (e.g., visible
light, infrared, and
microwave).
SC.H.1.3.2: The student
knows that the study
of the events that led
scientists to discoveries
can provide information about the inquiry
process and its effects.
SC.H.2.3.1: The student
recognizes that patterns exist within and
across systems.

BEFORE, you learned

NOW, you will learn

There are different wavelengths

of electromagnetic radiation
The Sun provides light in
the solar system

How the Sun produces energy

How energy flows through the
Suns layers
About solar features and
solar wind

EXPLORE Solar Atmosphere

How can blocking light reveal dim features?

MATERIALS

PROCEDURE
1

Unbend the paper clip and use it to make

a tiny hole in the center of the card.

2 Turn on the lamp, and briefly try to read

small paper clip

index card
lamp with
45-watt bulb

the writing on the bulb.

3 Close one eye, and hold the card in

FCAT VOCABULARY
convection p. 780

VOCABULARY
fusion p. 780
corona p. 780
sunspot p. 782
solar wind p. 783

front of your other eye. Through the hole,

try to read the writing on the bulb.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

How did looking through the hole affect
your view of the writing?
How might a solar eclipse affect your
view of the Suns dim outermost layer?

The Sun produces energy from hydrogen.

MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS
You could record information about the Sun by
using a main idea and
details table.

The Sun is the only star in our solar system. Astronomers have been
able to study the Sun in more detail than other stars because it is much
closer to Earth. As a result, they have learned a great deal about its size
and composition and the way it produces energy.
The Sun is far larger than any of the planets. It contains 99.9 percent
of the mass of the entire solar system. For comparison, imagine that
Earth had the mass of a sparrow; then the Sun would have the mass of
an elephant.
The Sun consists mostly of hydrogen gas. Energy is produced when
hydrogen in the Suns interior turns into helium. This energy is the
source of light and warmth that make life possible on Earth.
Chapter 22: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe 779

Energy flows through the Suns layers.

FLORIDA

Content Review

reminder

Remember that life on Earth

totally depends on energy
from the Sun, which you
learned in grade 6.

Although the Sun is made entirely of gas, it does have a structure.

Energy produced in the center of the Sun flows out through the Suns
layers in different forms, including visible light.

The Suns Interior

The Suns interior generally becomes cooler and less dense as you
move away from the center.

reminder

The center of the Sun, called the core, is made of very dense
gas. Temperatures reach about 15 million degrees Celsius. Under
these extreme conditions, some hydrogen particles collide and
combine to form helium in a process called fusion. The process
releases energy that travels through the core by radiation.

Radiative Zone

In the convection zone, energy moves mainly by

convection. Convection is the transfer of energy from place to
place by the motion of heated gas or liquid. Rising currents of hot
gas in the convection zone carry energy toward the Suns surface.

Remember that radiation

is energy that travels across
distances as electromagnetic
waves.

Core

Energy from the core moves by radiation through

a thick layer called the radiative zone. Although this layer is very
hot and dense, conditions in the radiative zone are not extreme
enough for fusion to occur.

Convection Zone

check your reading

SIMULATION
CLASSZONE.COM

View the Sun at different

wavelengths.

780 Unit 6: Space Science

Where does the Suns energy come from?

The Suns Atmosphere

The Suns outer layers are called its atmosphere. These layers are much
less dense than the interior. The atmosphere generally becomes hotter
and less dense as you move outward.
4

Photosphere Visible light moves by radiation out into space from

the photosphere. It takes about eight minutes for the light to reach
Earth. Since the photosphere is the layer you see in photographs of
the Sun, it is often called the Suns surface. Convection currents
beneath the photosphere cause it to have a bumpy texture.

The chromosphere is the thin middle layer of the

Suns atmosphere. It gives off a pinkish light.

The Suns outermost layer is called the corona. The corona,

which varies in shape, extends outward several million kilometers.
Both the chromosphere and the corona are much hotter than the
photosphere. However, they have such low densities that you can
see their light only during a total eclipse of the Sun, when the
Moon blocks the much brighter light from the photosphere.

Chromosphere

Corona

Layers of the Sun

Energy produced by fusion in the Suns
core flows out through its layers.
prominence

Energy is produced in
the Suns core.

sunspots

Energy moves by radiation through the

radiative zone.

Currents of hot gas in

the convection
zone carry energy
outward.

The photosphere is
the visible layer of
the Sun.

The chromosphere
is the middle layer of
the Suns atmosphere.

The corona, the

Suns outermost layer,
has a very low density.

Corona

Energy travels by radiation

and convection from the
Suns core out into space.

During a solar eclipse, the corona

becomes visible because the much
brighter photosphere is hidden.
The corona varies in shape.

Chapter 22: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe 781

Features on the Sun

Astronomers have observed features on the Sun that vary over time.
Near the Suns surface there are regions of magnetic force called magnetic fields. These magnetic fields get twisted into different positions
as the Sun rotates. Features appear on the surface in areas where strong
magnetic fields are located.
are spots on the photosphere that are cooler than
surrounding areas. Although they appear dark, sunspots are actually
bright. They only seem dim because the rest of the photosphere is
so much brighter.
Sunspots

Sunspot activity follows a pattern that lasts about 11 years. At the

peak of the cycle, dozens of sunspots may appear. During periods of
low activity, there may not be any sunspots.
Sunspots move across the Suns surface as it rotates. Astronomers
first realized that the Sun rotates when they noticed this movement.
Because the Sun is not solid, some parts rotate faster than others.
Other solar features include flares and prominences (PRAHM-uhnuhn-sihz). Flares are eruptions of hot gas from the Suns surface.
They usually occur near sunspots. Prominences are huge loops of
glowing gas that extend into the corona. They occur where magnetic
fields connecting sunspots soar into the outer atmosphere.
check your reading

How are sunspots different from other areas of the photosphere?

Solar Features
Features on the Sun appear in areas where a magnetic field is strong.
Sunspots

Prominences

Sunspots on the photosphere can be

larger than Earth.

Prominences can soar more than 100,000

kilometers above the photosphere.

782 Unit 6: Space Science

Solar Wind
Material in the Suns corona is
continually streaming out into space.
The electrically charged particles that
flow out in all directions from the
corona are called the solar wind.
The solar wind extends throughout
our solar system.
Most of the solar wind flowing
toward Earth is safely guided around
the planet by Earths magnetic field.
When solar-wind particles do enter the
upper atmosphere, they release energy, which can produce beautiful
patterns of glowing light in the sky. Such displays of light are called
auroras (uh-RAWR-uhz), or the northern and southern lights.
Auroras often occur near the poles.

This circular green aurora

occurred over Alaska
when particles from
the solar wind entered
the atmosphere.

Earths atmosphere usually prevents charged particles from reaching

the surface. However, during the peak of the sunspot cycle, flares and
other kinds of solar activity release strong bursts of charged particles
into the solar wind. These bursts, called magnetic storms, can disrupt
electric-power delivery across large regions by causing surges in power
lines. They can also interfere with radio communication.
Magnetic storms are much more harmful above the protective layers
of Earths atmosphere. Bursts of particles in the solar wind can damage
or destroy orbiting satellites. The solar wind also poses a danger to
astronauts during space flights.
check your reading

What causes auroras to form?

KEY CONCEPTS

CRITICAL THINKING

1. How does the Sun produce

energy?

4. Analyze Why is the core the

only layer of the Sun where
energy is produced?

2. How does energy move from

the Suns core to the
photosphere?
3. How does the solar wind
normally affect Earth?

CHALLENGE

5. Compare and Contrast

Make a diagram comparing
sunspots, flares, and
prominences.

6. Infer A communications
satellite stops working while in
orbit, and a surge in an electric
power line causes blackouts in
cities across a large region.
What probably happened in
the Suns atmosphere shortly
before these events?

Chapter 22: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe 783