sun Flashcards

1/30/24

1
Q

movement of an object in a circular/elliptical course around another object

A

revolution

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2
Q

circular motion of an object around its center

A

rotation

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3
Q

unit of measurement
distance from the center of the earth to the center of the sun

A

astronomical unit

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4
Q

luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity

A

star

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5
Q

center of the solar system; massive hot ball of plasma inflated by energy

A

sun

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6
Q

shows the position of the sun at the same time of so many days

A

analemma

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7
Q

converts hydrogen into helium by reactions with carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen

A

thermonuclear fusion

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8
Q

balance between inward gravity force and outward hot gas

A

hydrostatic equilibrium

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9
Q

cooler and darker spots on the suns surface

A

sunspots

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10
Q

suns equator rotates faster than the poles of the sun

A

differential rotation

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11
Q

convection from inside the sun causes the photosphere to be divided into cells

A

granules

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12
Q

dense clouds of material above syns surface by magnetic loops

A

solar prominences

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13
Q

large explosions on the surface of the sun

A

solar flares

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14
Q

huge bubbles of gas threaded with magnetic field lines

A

Coronal Mass Ejections

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15
Q

continuous flow of charged particles from the sun in every direction

A

solar wind

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16
Q

layer where hydrogen fusion occurs

17
Q

layer where energy from the core radiates outward to a distance of 0.7

A

radiative zone

18
Q

layer where responsible for energy transport to the suns outer layers

A

convection zone

19
Q

layer where sun emits most of its visible light

A

photosphere

20
Q

layer where its hotter, less dense gas and has a reddish color

A

chromosphere

21
Q

layer where gases are hot but have the lowest density

22
Q

What are the 3 most common elements in the sun?

A

Hydrogen
Helium
Magnesium

23
Q

Why is the sun’s core the perfect environment for fusion to occur

A

The very high temperature and pressure in the sun’s core allows the nuclear reaction fusion to occur.

24
Q

What happens during a solar maximum?

A

large numbers of sunspots appear, and the solar irradiance output grows by about 0.07%.

25
What happens during a solar minimum?
the Sun has the least sunspots
26
How long is the cycle from one solar minimum to another?
about 11 years
27
Do sunspots move?
Yes, they move in the direction of its magnetic field lines
28
Are sunspots hotter or cooler than the surrounding surface of the sun?
cooler
29
Does the sun output more or less energy during a period of maximum number of sunspots vs minimum number of sunspots?
More energy during a maximum number of sunspots Less when during a minimum number of sunspots
30
Tangling is caused by the _____ of the sun?
differential rotation rates
31
Which layer of the 3 most outer layers do we see when we look at the sun?
corona
32
What natural protection does earth have from coronal mass ejection?
Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere
33
What causes auroras?
the ions of the solar wind collide with atoms of oxygen and nitrogen from Earth's atmosphere
34
How often does solar wind occur?
once every 27 days
35
Where does solar wind come from?
created by the outward expansion of plasma (a collection of charged particles) from the Sun's corona (outermost atmosphere).
36
Whats the difference between granules and sunspots?
Solar granules cover the entire photospheric surface, except where there are sunspots.
37
Whats the difference between solar flare and coronal mass ejection?
solar flare is a brilliant flash of light. A CME is an immense cloud of magnetized particles hurled into space in a particular direction, sometimes toward Earth.
38