CHAPTER 9

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SUN appears as a ball of glowing gases

Hydrogen gas 71%

Helium gas 27%

other elements 2%
9.1

Activities of the Sun that Affect Earth Textbook (page 258 – 262)

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Corona BACK

Layers that extend up to

millions of kilometres into NEXT
outer space.

Chromosphere Photosphere
Forms a red circle during a The layer of the Sun that
solar eclipse. emits light.

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 HOME
Radiation zone
Energy in this area travels
in the form of
Convection zone BACK

electromagnetic radiation. The energy in this area

moves in a vortex. NEXT

Core
Nuclear reaction which is
fusion of the nucleus
occurs all the time.

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Phenomena on the Surface of the Sun

Granules
- Grainy structure on the Convection Zone. HOME

- Caused by high temperature differences between core layer and

photosphere. BACK
- Makes surface of photosphere uneven.
- extremely hot with a temperature as high as 5 800°C.
- The average diameter of a granule is about 1 000 km. NEXT

Sunspots
- dark regions seen on the surface of the Sun. (colder temperature
and less light)
- Locations of very large eruptions in the photosphere.
- Seem to appear and disappear according to a cycle that lasts 11
years which is known as solar cycle.
- Causes drought on Earth when sunspots are active.

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 Prominence
- A huge loop or arched column of glowing gases over the sunspot.
- very strong that can throw out matter from the Sun into space at
speeds ranging from 600 km s-1 to more than 1 000 km s-1.
- Occurs for a few days or months. HOME

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Solar flares
- Are strong and spectacular explosions of gases.
- Column-shaped of large amounts of charged gases erupting from the Sun and
often occurs near sunspots.
- Spout charged gas particles at high speeds into outer space. The light from
solar flares which is at the speed of light takes 8 minutes to reach Earth while
the charged gas particles take tens of minutes.
- These charged gas particles often collide with atoms and molecules in Earth’s
atmosphere and produces an aurora, which is a colorful light in the sky in the
air space around the Earth’s poles.

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 Coronal mass ejections
- Huge cloud of plasma that erupts from the Sun and often occurs together with
solar flares which are huge and strong.
- Ejection of magnetic gas particles is at high speed.
- Appears like an expanding cloud. HOME

- Take 3 days to reach Earth.

- The magnetic gas particles also react with atoms and molecules in Earth’s BACK
atmosphere to produce aurora.

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Solar wind
- Particles in plasma (electrons, protons and alpha particles) erupt from the
Sun to outer space travel together at high speeds.
- The speed of solar wind is supersonic with values ranging from 250 km s-1 to
750 km s-1.
- Solar wind also carries the interplanetary magnetic field along with it.

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SOLAR CYCLE

• a.k.a the sunspot cycle

• affect the Sun’s activities in a period of 11 yrs

• due to different number of fluxes based on time

SUMMARY
Granule :
• Appear as grainy structure (Convection zone)

Sunspot :
• Dark regions seen on the surface of the Sun (Photosphere)

Solar Cycle :
• Activity of sunspots seems to appear and disappear
• according a cycle that last 11 years

Prominence :
• Huge loop/arched column of glowing gases over the sunspot

Solar Flares:
• Eruption of large amounts of charged gas
• charged gas particle collide with atoms produce stunning light (Aurora)
CUSTOME RS
Coronal Mass Ejection
• Ejection of magnetic gas particle
• Charged gas particle (solar wind) react with atom n molecule (Earth’s atmosphere) -
Aurora

Solar Wind :
• Particle in plasma(electron,proton,alpha particle) erupt from the sun
• carries interplanetary magnetic field
 Earth’s
Solar wind Magnetosphere
is formed by the interaction between the
magnetic field brought by the solar wind HOME

and Earth’s magnetic field.

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Earth
Solar wind
NEXT

Magnetosphere
blocks charged particles such as electrons,
Solar wind protons and alpha particles in the solar
wind from reaching Earth.

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9.2

Space Weather

Surface of the In the outer HOME

Sun space BACK

Solar flares, prominences, sunspots Solar wind, solar radiation storm

and coronal mass ejections and geomagnetic storm NEXT

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Effects of Phenomena on the Sun to the Earth

01 Formation of aurora at Artic region. HOME

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Disturbance in telecommunications and navigation system.

02

03 Disturbance in electric power line.

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Effects of Phenomena on the Sun to the Earth

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKVkHdKTJGI BACK

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwRunxYe704

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