The sun is the star at the center of our solar system, and it is the source of life on Earth. It is a giant, glowing ball of gas that is constantly radiating energy in the form of light and heat. The sun is a fascinating and complex object, and its atmosphere is full of wonders.
The sun’s atmosphere is divided into several layers. The innermost layer is the photosphere, which is the visible surface of the sun. This layer is composed of hot, ionized gas and is the source of the sun’s light and heat. Above the photosphere is the chromosphere, which is a thin layer of hot gas that is visible during a total solar eclipse. The chromosphere is the source of the sun’s red and pink hues.
Above the chromosphere is the corona, which is the outermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere. The corona is composed of extremely hot gas that is millions of degrees in temperature. This layer is visible during a total solar eclipse, and it is the source of the sun’s beautiful halo.
The sun’s atmosphere is also home to a variety of phenomena. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy that are released from the sun’s surface. These flares can cause disruptions in communication systems and power grids on Earth. Solar prominences are huge arcs of gas that are suspended above the sun’s surface. These prominences can reach hundreds of thousands of kilometers in length.
The sun’s atmosphere is also home to sunspots, which are dark patches on the sun’s surface. Sunspots are caused by intense magnetic fields that are generated by the sun’s interior. Sunspots can last for days or weeks, and they can be seen with the naked eye.
The sun’s atmosphere is a fascinating and complex environment. It is full of wonders that can be seen during a total solar eclipse. The sun’s atmosphere is constantly changing, and it is a reminder of the power and beauty of our star.
The sun may be an everyday fixture in the sky, but it’s certainly anything but commonplace. Our ever-elusive star holds an enduring fascination—not least for its remarkable and complex atmosphere. Let’s take a closer look at the compilation of gases, radiation and magnetic activity that coalesce to form the enveloping aura around our nearby star.
The sun is thought to be made up of five distinct atmospheric layers: the chromosphere, the transition region, the corona, the heliosphere and the solar wind. These range from a thin, red visible layer to a star-spanning region that surrounds the entire solar system.
The chromosphere sits between the star’s photosphere (our “visible” sun) and the transition region. It is an extremely thin layer of helium and hydrogen gases which can only be seen in near-infrared light. Even at this thin depth of approximately 1,500 kilometers, the chromosphere boasts some of the sun’s strongest bursts of energy: its flares.
The transition region is an area of extreme temperatures and turbulent solar activities. Sitting between the chromosphere and the corona, this layer is characterized by the rapid growth in temperature. Radiation escapes from the sun at this layer, high above the star’s photosphere, causing its unique orange hue.
The corona is the secondary atmosphere around the sun, much hotter than the primary layers below. At nearly a million degrees Fahrenheit, it is filled with protons, electrons and other particles that are released from the stellar surface. The corona is greatly expanded during solar storms and is composed of magnetic field lines that generate solar activity.
Above the corona lies the heliosphere, a region of space extending from the sun outwards. It is filled with charged particles, plasma and radiation that escape from the sun and form the shape of a bubble around the entire solar system.
Finally, the solar wind is the flow of particles and radiation released from the sun. This storms of speeding particles, reaching speeds of several thousand kilometers per second, continuously flow outward, forming a “stream” as they dissipate gradually. Solar wind particles can reach speeds of up to 800 km/s, and they travel further out, beyond the heliosphere, into interstellar space.
Each of these layers is extraordinary in its own right, yet together they form an entrancing combination—a mosaic of Our Star’s atmospheric wonders. As stargazers, astrophysicists, and other solar enthusiasts continue to increase their understanding of the solar atmosphere, the overall picture of our glowing star becomes better and more detailed with each day.