Science Form 3 Chapter 9

STARS AND GALAXIES

Choong XH, Catholic High School (2010) Last update: 26/8/2010

 Part A
The Sun
F3 C9 STARS AND GALAXIES
9.1 The Sun

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 Characteristics of the Sun
• The Sun is a star. It is the
nearest star to the Earth
• The Sun is in the centre of the
Solar System ( 太阳系 )
• It is the biggest object in the
Solar System

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 Characteristics of the Sun
• It has a large force of gravity
because of its big mass.
• The force of gravity causes
the planets ( 行星 ) and
asteroids ( 小行星 )in the
Solar System to orbit around
it

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 Part B
The Structure of the Sun
F3 C9 STARS AND GALAXIES
9.1 The Sun

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 Structure of the Sun
• The Sun has an
atmosphere ( 大气层 )
which can be divided into
three layers:
– The corona ( 日冕 )
– The chromosphere ( 太阳
色球层 )
– The photosphere ( 光球
层)

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 The Corona
• The corona is the
outermost layer of the
Sun’s atmosphere. It is
actually a layer of gas
boiled off from the sun
• The corona extends for
thousands of kilometers
into outer space

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 The Corona
• It is the hottest layer of gas
in the Sun’s atmosphere,
with a temperature of about
1 500 000oC
• The corona is a faint whitish
blue region and can only be
seen during an eclipse of the
Sun
• The corona gives out X-rays.

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 The Chromosphere
• The chromosphere is a
layer of gas below the
corona
• “Chromosphere” means a
sphere of colour, so called
because of its reddish-
pink colour.
• This layer of gas is about 5
000 km thick
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 The Chromosphere
• Its temperature can rise
as high as 50 000oC
• It can only be seen
during an eclipse of the
Sun because it is not
bright

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 The Photosphere
• The photosphere is a layer
of heavy gas which can be
seen from the Earth as a
bright lighted surface
• “photosphere” means a
sphere of light
• The photosphere has a
temperature of about
6000oC

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 The Photosphere
• Its surface appears very
rough because the gases
from the core bubble
through it.
• Solar flares, prominences
and sunspots erupt from
its surface

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 The Core
• The core is made up of
hydrogen and helium under
high pressure.
• The core is the hottest part of
the Sun with a temperature of
about 15000 000oC
• Thermonuclear reactions
which are continuously going
on in the core generate the
Sun’s heat and light

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 Part C
Phenomena on the Sun’s Surface
F3 C9 STARS AND GALAXIES
9.1 The Sun

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 • Phenomena occurring on the Sun’s surface
are:
– Sunspot
– Flares
– prominences

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 • Phenomena occurring on the Sun’s surface
are:
– Sunspot
– Flares
– prominences

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 Sunspots

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 Sunspots
• Sunspots are dark areas on the
surface of the Sun
• These areas are dark because
they are cooler than the other
parts o the Sun’s surface
• Sunspots will disappear after
several hours or several weeks
• They are caused by magnetic
fields which slow down the
emission of heat from the core of
the Sun

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 Sunspots

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 Sunspots
• They are of different sizes
and some may have
diameters of several
thousand kilometres
• They usually occur in pairs
• They appear to move
across the Sun’s surface
because the Sun is rotating
from west to east.

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 Sunspots

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 Flares 太阳耀斑

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 Flares
• Solar flares are bursts of
light from the Sun’s surface
• They give out a lot of energy
although they last from
several minutes to several
hours only.
• They can reach a
temperature of 5 000 000oC

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 Flares
• They also release charged
particles into outer space,
and some of these particles
reach the Earth

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 Prominences 日珥

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 Prominences
• Prominences are clouds of
burning hydrogen and helium
exploding from the Sun’s
surface
• These clouds of hot gases
appear bright red and curved,
and may reach a height of more
than 100 000 kilometres
• They can have a temperature of
10 000oC

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 Prominences
• The hot gases cool down
after some time and are
pulled back to the Sun by
the Sun’s gravity. At the
same time some of the gases
escape into outer space
• The gases which escape into
outer space form the solar
wind ( 太阳风 )

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 Prominences
• The solar wind causes the
tail of a comet to point
away from the Sun

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 Prominences

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 Part D
Effects of Sunpots, Flares and Prominences on
the Earth

F3 C9 STARS AND GALAXIES

9.1 The Sun

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 • Phenomena occurring on the Sun’s surface
are:
– Sunspot
– Flares
– prominences

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 Effects of Sunspots, Flares and Prominences
on the Earth
• Sunspots, flares and
prominences on the Sun’s
surface radiate X-rays,
ultraviolet rays, the solar
wind and charged electric
particles into outer space.
• Some of the these rays and
charged particles reach the
Earth and have effects on the
Earth

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 Effects of Sunspots, Flares and Prominences
on the Earth
• These rays and charged
particles influence the
weather and climate on
the Earth. It is believed
that a large number of
sunspots on the Sun’s
surface can cause
disturbing weather
conditions on the Earth
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 Effects of Sunspots, Flares and Prominences
on the Earth
• The electrically charged
particles will collide with
the particles in the Earth’s
atmosphere and cause
radio and television
interference

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 Effects of Sunspots, Flares and Prominences
on the Earth
• The electrically charged
particles are deflected by the
Earth’s magnetic field
towards the north and the
south poles. These produces
green, yellow and red
coloured lights in the sky
near the poles at night.
These coloured lights are
called the aurorae 北极光

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 Aurorea

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 Aurorea

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 Aurorea

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 Aurorea

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 Aurorea

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 Aurorea

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 Part E
Generation of Energy by the Sun
F3 C9 STARS AND GALAXIES
9.1 The Sun

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 Generation of Energy by the Sun
• The sun is the source of
energy of the entire Solar
System
• Energy is generated by
thermonuclear reactions
in the core of the Sun
where the temperature and
the pressure are extremely
high
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 Generation of Energy by the Sun
• During thermonuclear
reactions in the core of the
Sun, light hydrogen atoms
combine to form heavier
helium atoms with the release
of large quantities of heat
energy and light energy.
• The temperature reached in
this reaction is about
15,000,000oC

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 Generation of Energy by the Sun
• The energy generated in the
reaction is brought from the
core to the surface of the Sun
by radiation and convection
• Most of the energy radiated
from the Sun is in the form of
heat and light. Only a fraction
of the heat and light reaches
the Earth

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 Generation of Energy by the Sun
• When all the hydrogen in
the Sun is used up, the Sun
will become a small quiet
object in outer space.

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 Questions – TEST YOUR
UNDERSTANDING
F3 C9 STARS AND GALAXIES
9.1 The Sun

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 Questions
1. Name the 3 layer of the Sun’s atmosphere
2. Which layer of the Sun’s atmosphere can only
be seen in a total eclipse of the Sun? Why?
3. Why do sunspots appear to move across the
Sun’s surface from the west to the east?
4. What causes aurorae in the Earth’s north and
south poles?
5. How is heat generated in the Sun’s core

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