QE REVIEW - SCIENCE

• The Sun

  • the center of the solar system
  • a medium-sized star
  • diameter: 1,400,000 km
  • distance from the Earth: 149,600,000 km away
  • temperature at the center: 15,000,000 0C
• Composition of the Sun

  • Hydrogen (73%)
  • Helium (25%)
  • Other: 1% (oxygen, carbon, neon, iron)
• Phase of the sun's life cycle

  main sequence
• Outer Layers of the sun

  • photosphere - the glowing layer of gases on the sun's surface (visible layer)
  • chromosphere - layer above the photosphere
  • corona - the outer layer of the sun
• Inner Layers of the sun

  • core - innermost layer; 15 million 0C
  • radiative zone - passage for all the energy that is released at the core; 7-12 million 0C
  • convection zone - the outermost layer of the sun; 2 million 0C
• Sunspots

  • dark areas found in the photosphere
  • appear dark because they are cooler than the rest of the sun
• The difference between solar flares and prominences is that solar flares flare off the sun while prominences look like loops.
• The photosphere is the visible surface of the sun.
• The sunspot has a lower temperature than the rest of sun's surface.
• Solar flares look like loops.
• What are the different layers of the Earth?