Transcript Characteristics of the Sun

The Sun:
Our star
Pluto
Mercury
Neptune
Venus
Uranus
Earth
Sun
Saturn
Mars
Jupiter
•The sun is very hot.
•The sun provides energy that
heats the Earth and allows
plants and animals to survive.
•The sun is very bright.
•Light from the sun allows
animals to see and plants to
make food.
•The Sun has a strong force of
gravity.
•The Sun’s gravity holds Earth
close to the Sun where it
received the Sun’s energy.
•The Sun is a good distance
from the Earth. The Sun is far
enough away that the Earth is
not too hot or too cold.
Our Sun is the closest star to
the Earth.
It is at least 4.5 billion years
old.
Without the Sun, the Earth
would not be able to support
life.
THE SUN
•Surface temperature is 5500 o C
•Interior temperature, 15,000,000 o C
The Sun’s diameter is 1,380,000 km
•110 X Earth’s diameter
•The Sun’s mass is 745 X > than all planets
•The Sun’s volume equals 1 million Earths
The Sun’s Structure
• The Sun’s corona, or
atmosphere, is only
visible during an
eclipse.
• The photosphere has a
grainy look. Its surface
is made up of hot,
bright areas called
granules.
The Sun’s Structure
• A sunspot is a dark area on
the photosphere.
• Sunspots appear dark
because they are cooler than
the rest of the Sun.
• The sunspot theory suggests
that these areas are formed
due to changes in the Sun’s
magnetic field.