Page 24 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

A week in the life of the Sun
 To the naked eye the Sun looks like an intensely bright light in the sky. Most of us never imagine that it has a surface full of variation, or that it is constantly changing. In this sequence of pictures of the photosphere— which cover just a week in the life
of the Sun—you can see both the variations on the surface and that changes are constantly taking place.
First, notice the surface GranuLation of light and dark blotches (see page 26 for an explanation of this feature). Then, with this background in mind, look to see the way that the bright patches change on this background.
Remember, the Sun spins on its axis once every 25 days (with the rotation from left to
right as we see it on these pictures). So, you would
expect to see features
move across the surface.
What you are looking
for are changes in the
pattern.
Look also at the soLar fLares (page 32) that shoot off from the Sun. You can see them where the glow of the Sun meets the blackness of space.
granulation The speckled pattern we see in the Sun’s photosphere as a result of convectional overturning of gases.
solar flare Any sudden explosion from the surface of the Sun that sends ultraviolet radiation into the chromosphere. It also sends out some particles that reach Earth and disrupt radio communications.
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Day 1
Day 7
Day 6