It is essential for students to know the characteristics of the surface features of the Sun.
The Sun’s atmosphere includes the photosphere and the corona:
The photosphere emits light and is the most prominent layer of the Sun’s atmosphere.
During a total eclipse when the photosphere is blocked, the corona, the outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere that looks like a white halo, can be seen.
Other features on or above the Sun’s surface are sunspots, prominences, and solar flares.
Sunspots are areas of gas on the sun that are cooler than the surrounding gases and therefore do not give off as much light and appear as dark spots on the photosphere.
Prominences are huge, looping eruptions of gas, usually near sunspots, that arch out from the photosphere into the outer layers of the Sun’s
atmosphere.
Solar flares re explosions of hot gas that occur when prominences connect. They shoot from the Sun’s surface releasing tremendous amounts of energy into space.
The Sun’s atmosphere includes the photosphere and the corona:
The photosphere emits light and is the most prominent layer of the Sun’s atmosphere.
During a total eclipse when the photosphere is blocked, the corona, the outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere that looks like a white halo, can be seen.
Other features on or above the Sun’s surface are sunspots, prominences, and solar flares.
Sunspots are areas of gas on the sun that are cooler than the surrounding gases and therefore do not give off as much light and appear as dark spots on the photosphere.
Prominences are huge, looping eruptions of gas, usually near sunspots, that arch out from the photosphere into the outer layers of the Sun’s
atmosphere.
Solar flares re explosions of hot gas that occur when prominences connect. They shoot from the Sun’s surface releasing tremendous amounts of energy into space.