The Sun

By Joanne and Satomi

Want

to

know

about

the

sun?

Around 4.57 billion years ago, a

collapse part of a giant molecular cloud

made from mostly hydrogen and

helium gave birth to out sun and many

other stars. The sun is a star in the

middle of our solar system. The surface

shoots hot gases that begin at about

6100 degrees Celsius. 99.7% of then is

made from helium and hydrogen. The

rest of the sun is made from oxygen,

carbon, neon and iron. The elements

that are part of the sun were created

during the “big bang”. It is shot

thousands of kilometres into space and

this is how we get heat. Our sun is

amazing but if you look directly at the

sun with a naked eye, you will go

blind….. DUHHH!Continue to read if you would like to

know more about the sun

Joanne

Sola

r Syst

em

In our solar system we have eight planets and 1

bright star (the sun).The centre of our solar

system is the sun, but the sun is not the centre

of our solar system, even though we consider as

the centre of our solar system. The sun takes up

around 99.8% of our solar system. The milky

way is seen as a spiral galaxy with 4 main

arms ,and several shorter segments. The

rotation of the spiral turns clockwise to the

centre. The sun and our solar system is located

closer to the Orion arm, in between the Perseus

arm and Sagittarius arm .The diameter of the

entire Milky Way is around 100,000 light years

and the sun is located around 28,000 light years

away from the galactic centre.

One orbit of the earth around the sun is

equivalent to one year. Our sun and the solar

system moves 800 thousand kilometres per

hour- in this huge orbit. In 90 seconds, we all

move 20,000 kilometres, in orbit around our

galaxy’s centre. The earth takes a year,(365

¼,365.25 or 365 days and 6 hours) to orbit the

sun completely. This is why we have a leap year.

Everything in our solar system including planets,

their moons, ,dwarf planets, asteroids, comets,

space junk and other space objects all orbit

around the sun.

Satomi

Layers

of

the s

un

The sun is made of 6 burning

layers of gas as shown in figure

1. (Subsurface flows, is not a layer)

Joanne

Figure

1

Inner core:

The inner core of the sun is like an engine for a car. It is 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (14999982ºC). Here, all its energy is produced and then goes through many layers.

Radiative zone:

The energy from the core goes to the next layer, the radiative zone of the sun. Scientists believe that this part of the sun is cooler than the core. They estimate is to be 4.5 million Fahrenheit (2499982.2ºC)

Conversion zone:

The conversion zone is the last layer of the inner parts of the sun. this layer creates big bubbles. This zone is 2 million degrees Fahrenheit (2222204.4ºC)

Photosphere:

The photosphere is the visible surface of the sun. Due to the bubbling from the previous layer (conversion zone) the photosphere makes granular patterns. From looking at pictures, the granular look small but scientist believe that they are actually as big as our moon. This layer of the sun is 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5537.7778ºC)

Chromosphere:

The chromosphere is just above the photosphere. It has gigantic solar flare and loops of hot gases shooting up thousands of kilometres. This layer is about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2760ºC).

Corona:

This layer of the sun lies just above the chromosphere. We can only see this layer during a solar eclipse. This layer is leaving scientists curious because this layer is way hotter than the other layers. It is about 4 million degrees Fahrenheit (2222204.4ºC)

Worships

Many regions worshipped the sun. below, are some examples.

The Egyptians worshiped Ra.

For them, the sun was the source of life. It provided them with heat,

energy, light and warmth. He was considered to be the king of gods.

The Chinese worshiped Ten Suns.

They believed that there were actually 10 suns and they took turns lighting

each day. They believed that the suns are carried across the heavens in a

chariot that is driven by their mother and drawn by dragons.

The Japanese worshipped a sun goddess names Ama- Terasu

The Japanese believed that their country was made by the sun and came

up with the legend of Ama- Terasu. They believed in this so much they even

put a red ball on a white background. (The red ball is supposed to be the

sun)

The Greeks worshipped Apollo

Although Apollo was considered a good sun god, he was also god of many

other things sucks as music, poetry, mathematics and medicine.

Aboriginal Sun Spirit- Yhi

Yhi was the one who brought light into the dark world.

 

Joanne

Sola

r Energ

y

Solar energy is the cleanest

and most environmentally

friendly source of renewable energy that

generates electricity

available to help power

your home, business or

community building. In

today’s society this is one

of the cheapest options.

Solar power and also

provide us with heating and

cooling in houses, hot water

or heating water. 

Joanne

Sun S

pots

Sunspots are cooler and

darker areas on the outside

layer of the sun called the

photosphere. An average

sunspot may look like a tiny

dot on the sun but it is

actually as big as our earth.

Sunspots usually last about

11 years. These sunspots also

cause weather changes. More

sunspots cause hot weather

and less sunspots cause cold

weather. The largest sunspot is about

50,000 km wide meaning that

it is able to be seen with a

naked eye. STILL!!!! Don’t

look at the sun with a naked

eye

Joanne

Sola

r

Fla

res

A solar flare is a sudden,

rapid, difference in

brightness in areas of the

sun. A solar flare occurs

when energy, built up in the

solar system that is suddenly

released. It is possible to see

radiation emitting across the

entire electromagnetic

spectrum through x-rays.

Millions of 100-megaton

hydrogen bombs exploding

at the same time is equal to

the amount of energy

released.

Particles including electrons,

protons and heavy nuclei are

heated and accelerated as

the magnetic energy is being

released. There are three

stages to a solar flare, the

first stage is the precursor

stage. This is where the

trigger of magnetic energy is

pulled. Emission I usually

detected at this stage, due

to a soft x-ray. The second

stage is the

impulsive stage. This is when

protons and electrons are

accelerated to energy , during

this stage, radio waves, hard x-

rays and gamma rays are

emitted. The third stage is the

decay stage, this is when soft

x-rays can be detected. These

stages can last up to as long

as an hour or as short as a

couple of second.

Solar flares extend out to the

next layer of the sun, the

corona. The corona is the

atmosphere at the very

surface of the sun, abiding

rarefied gas. This gas is really

high in temperature, usually

reaching 10-20 million

degrees. The corona isn’t

normally bright, but is

concentrated around the solar

equator in loop-shaper

appearance, known to be

connected with strong

magnetic fields called, active

regions. It is possible to spot a

sun spot with in these areas

but this is where solar flares

normally occur.

Satomi

Sola

r Eclip

seA solar eclipse is when the moon comes between earth and

the sun. At that time, the moon will not cover the corona.

Although it is an amazing site, you must make sure you

don’t look at it because you may get blind.

There are 3 different types of solar eclipses. This depends

on the moons shadow.

Total- when the entire sun cannot be seen as shown in figure

2.3.1

Partial- when only part of the sun’s surface cannot be seen

as shown in figure 2.3.2

Annular- only a small ring lift is seen from the suns disc as

show in figure 2.3.3

Joanne

Figure

2.3

.1

Figure

2.3

.1

Figure

2.3

.1

EA

RTH

The sun plays a big part in our daily lives, for we cannot live

without it.

Food~ We will no longer have any supply for our food. We

won’t have any plants or vegetables for plants need

sunlight to grow.

The sun won’t burn the fuel (the pollution sent to the

atmosphere)~It will lead to global warming and cause the

north pole and south poles to melt, which will lead to a rise

in tides.

We will not be able to live or survive~ Every living thing

needs water to survive and earth is the only planet to have

water without the sun. Without the sun’s heat, earth will turn

into an icy rocky planer.

Gives us a warmer place to live in and survive~ The sun

carries sunlight energy which warms up the earth, for our

weather and climate.

With out the sun there will be no life or living on planet

earth.

 

What does the

sun do for Satomi

The

Yohkoh

The yohkoh is a Japanese observatory which was launched on

august 31,1991.Ever since, the satellite has been sending back x-

rays and gamma rays of the sun. The satellites have two

spectroscopies. Together, these instruments send images of light

back to earth which we cannot see properly with a naked eye. The

goal of the project was to gain more knowledge about solar flares,

the study of coronal mass ejections and other types of solar

activity.

In Japan, the establishment for the Space and Astronomical

Sciences, is where the Yohkoh satellite is controlled. A power

shutdown had been experienced on the Yohkoh on December 14,

2001. This was triggered by an eclipse of the sun that covered

some parts of the Pacific Ocean that day. Efforts have been made

to repair the satellite. Even though the satellite cannot be repaired

just yet, it is considered as a great success.

The Yohkoh is a satellite which was sent to space to study and

take images of the sun. There had been an accident, a power shut

down which has not been recovered yet, but is known as a great

success.

Satomi

The

SO

HO

The SOHO stands for the Solar and

Heliospheric Observatory. The SOHO is a

project is global cooperation ESA (European

Space Agency) and NASA (National

Aeronautics and Space Administration) to

study the layers and structure of the sun, to

study the curiosity of the solar wind and

connections of the sun and earth. On

December 2, 1995, the SOHO satellite was

launched on an Atlas II-AS rocket (AC-121)

from the CCAS (the Cape Canaveral Air

Station) in Florida, United States. The

satellite was made in Europe, by a company

team, led by the Marta Marconi Space. The

pieces needed for the constructions was

provided by European and American

scientist. NASA was in control of the launch

of the satellite and is now responsible for

mission operations. Goddard Space Flight

Centre in Maryland, is the mission control.

Satomi

Pro

fileName: SOHO (Solar and

Heliospheric Observatory)

Dimensions: Approximately

4.3x2.7x3.7 metres (9.5

metres with solar arrays

deployed)Mass: 1850 Kilograms at

launchCost: About a thousand million

Euros, These costs have been

spread between ESA and its

member states and NASA

Satomi

Bib

liogra

phy

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://

www.ducksters.com/science/physics/sunspot

s_solar_wind_flares.php

http://

hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/sftheory/flare.htm

http://nineplanets.org/sol.html

http://

earthguide.ucsd.edu/virtualmuseum/ita/07_

1.shtml

http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Sun1lite.htm

http://

www.windows2universe.org/sun/effect_on_e

arth.html

http://

starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_

system_level1/solar_system.html

http://

www.windows2universe.org/space_missions/

yohkoh.html

Google imagesSatomi

Bib

liogra

phy

http://web.utah.edu/astro/sun.html

http://www.eyeonthesky.org/activities_pdf/X

Xsun_teacher.script.pdf

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/subarticle

.jsp?id=2524http://www.windows2universe.org/space_mi

ssions/yohkoh.htmlhttp://www.metric-conversions.org/temperat

ure/fahrenheit-to-celsius.htm

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/lithathesu

mmersolstice/p/SunWorship.htm

http://science.howstuffworks.com/solar-eclip

se1.htmhttp://www.space.com/15584-solar-eclipses.

htmlhttp://www.solarschools.net/resources/stuff/

sun_gods.aspx#tensuns

http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewabl

e-energy/solar-power/

 

Joanne