Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Maximum Minimum
number number
Magnetic field lines connect sunspots on the Sun’s photosphere
Above the photosphere, the chromosphere is
characterized by its red color –
from H emission.
Solar magnetic fields also create
other atmospheric phenomena
• prominences
Solar magnetic fields also create
other atmospheric phenomena
• prominences
• solar flares
The corona, the outermost part of the Sun’s
atmosphere, is characterized by its high
temperature and low density
http://www.spaceweather.com/images2002/18mar02/cme_c3_big.gif
The most powerful solar flare in 14 years, ..
erupted from sunspot 486 in late October of
2003. The explosion hurled a coronal mass
ejection almost directly toward Earth, which
triggered bright auroras when it arrived on
Earth.
The Earth’s magnetic field is caused by
movement of material in Earth’s interior
The Earth’s magnetic field produces a
magnetosphere that deflects and traps
particles from the solar wind protecting Earth
Relevance of Earth’s protective
magnetosphere
• Protects against Solar Flares - violent explosions
on the Sun releasing large burst of charged
particles into the solar system
• Protects against Solar Wind - dangerous stream
of charged particles constantly coming from the
Sun
• Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)