The sun makes up 99.8% of the mass of the solar system. It’s about 100 times as dense as water.
- Mass = 2,200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons.
Taken by the STEREO behind satellite June 9, 2007
The sun’s fusion reaction combines four hydrogen atoms into one helium atom. However, one helium atom weighs less than four hydrogens. The difference in mass is converted to energy. 4.2 million tons of it are converted to energy per second.
- Core Temperature ~ 20,000,000°F
- Surface Temperature = 10,000°F
It has an 11 year cycle between less activity and more activity. We’re currently at a minimum. The last maximum was in 2003. This film shows a comparison between the extremes. Note the camera interference after a flare and coronal mass ejection (CME)
Like the earth, the sun rotates on its axis. One rotation takes about four weeks. However, it’s not a solid body. The equator completes a rotation in 27 days, but the polar regions take 30 days. (this concludes today's lesson)
What's Playing: Is That What Everybody Else Wants - Cliff Martinez
1 comments:
Good stuff.
I find it interesting that given the size of the sun, the speed it rotates is incredible. Even at four weeks, the equator of the sun is spinning at an amazing rate.
Also, Interestingly there are even many college graduates that have the wrong idea of why we have seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter). This is common.
My fourth grade teacher taught me the wrong reason and it took me many years to undo that bad teaching.
You have to register but this shows how most people think.
http://learner.org/resources/series28.html
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