The Sun, Exam Questions Part 2

X-Ray image of the Sun

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Sun rotational Video

The sun is the source of all life on our planet, in fact this planet would not be here if it wasn't for our sun. By undergoing nuclear fusion it can produce enough heat, light and gravitational pull to keep our planet alive.

The sun is divided into parts much like the earth, it has the Chromoshere on the outside, where anomalies like solar flares and black spots can occur. The Photosphere creates convection that takes heat and energy from the suns core to the outside where it is sent out into space. At the center of the sun nuclear fusion takes place; the hydrogen gas is put under so much pressure and heat that it fuses to form helium atom and gamma rays.The gamma rays are the main source of energy from the sun, the equasion E=MC2 shows how a little bit of mass can form a tremendous amount of energy. All of the elements on earth are the remenents of past star, as a star grows old it's core collapses creating enough heat and pressure to create all of the know elements.

Aside from enabling life on our planet the sun also creates some hazards for life. Solar flares can crate intense EM radiation waves, theses bursts of energy not only affect satellite and electrical components but also can cause cancer, the gamma rays break apart hydrogen bonds in DNA and can cause skin and other forms of cancer. The auroras, aka northern/southern lights, are created when charged particles from the sun hit gaps in the ozone layer of earth by the poles, the particles create light after colliding with gas molecules in the atmosphere. (3)

Sources:

"The Sun - Introduction." Imagine The Universe! Home Page. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/sun.html>.

"SORCE - Solar Radiation & Climate Experiment." Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://lasp.colorado.edu/sorce/index.htm>.