Star Called Sun - the only one in our system.Around it rotate other objects, among which is the planet Earth, where we'll live.And given the importance of this disparate celestial body for the existence of all living things, including human on earth, it is also important to know what is in the sun, and how many years it will be able to shine.
Sun worship and study
From ancient times people have noticed that the leading role played by the star for all living things.Many ancient cultures worshiped the sun, the cult worship him.It is revered as a deity in ancient Egypt, in pre-Columbian America.And some of the greatest works of humanity devoted to the Sun: Stonehenge in England, Chichen Itza in Mexico, for example.And given the location of the sun, the pyramids of Egypt were built.Interestingly, the ancient Greek astronomers believed the sun a planet, along with the Earth.Of course, in those days no one could guess what is in the sun.For example, the Greek philosopher Anaxagoras thought he was created out of metal (for which, incidentally, was thrown into prison and sentenced to death).And the idea that the planets revolve around the center, which is the star of this was expressed by scientists in ancient India (and almost simultaneously - in Greece), and revived and developed by Copernicus in the 16th century.
modern science modern science, of course, has gone far ahead.The scientists calculated the mass and this celestial body, and his presumptive amount, and the distance to the Earth.The observations are carried out visually with the help of powerful modern telescopes are able to increase so that everyone can see at a glance.With satellites running on the corresponding orbit, mined precious materials that promote a more detailed study.Now we know with precision what constitutes sun.And also it became clear to scientists' solntsevedam "and its qualitative composition and configuration.
internal structure
Our star has a layered structure.It is worth noting that its mass is more than 99% of the total mass of the entire solar system (for comparison, this is 330 000 times greater than the mass of the Earth).According to the spectral classification of the Sun is a type of "yellow dwarf".The nucleus - the central part, where the thermonuclear processes (radius of more than 150 thousand kilometers).There's a very high temperature - more than 14 million degrees, and the substance reaches the enormous density.The energy and heat produced in the core by this reaction, and the remaining area of the sun heats them.What is the core of the sun?Since the center of the star the thermonuclear reaction, and hydrogen, which occupies the largest portion in the composition burns, the scientists believe there is more helium (64%) and less hydrogen (36%).
What is Sun
Well, that's what regards to the kernel.A sun itself mainly consists of hydrogen.Its 92% by volume and by weight - 73%.The next element - helium (7% volume).Also, there are other elements: iron, nickel, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, magnesium, calcium and chromium, and some others - that which material consists of the sun.
two main layers
There are two main layers: the inner and atmospheric.Inner consists of three parts: a core zone of energy transfer, the convection zone.The atmosphere of the Sun consists of three parts: the photosphere, chromosphere and corona.
energy transfer by means of radiation and convection
In zone following the core is transferred fusion energy generated by the star nucleus in the upper layers of a sun.The temperature is lowered gradually, and the wavelength increases.This segment accounts for 0.3 to 0.7 of the total radius from the center.The convection zone, located behind, performs energy transfer by means of convection.
solar atmosphere
photosphere - the visible surface of the sun.She sends into space spectral rays.Its thickness is only 200 kilometers.And over it the chromosphere is a layer having a thickness of at times more - up to 20 000 kilometers.They continually fall and rise up gases, carrying traffic.In the chromosphere sometimes there are prominences protruding beyond the surface of up to 250 000 kilometers, visible even from Earth.Sometimes the material collected in the solar prominence overcomes the attraction and off into outer space.The solar corona as it completes the construction of the Sun, rising to 2 million kilometers.View the crown is not always the same and is associated with periods of active stars.
solar wind
from the corona is constantly follows the stream of particles that are ionized.This is mainly protons and electrons, called the solar wind.They extend to the borders of the solar atmosphere.Radiation reaches a myriad of particles per second.And their loss to the yellow dwarf is the mass of millions of years, an equivalent weight of a planet like Earth.Such phenomena as the aurora borealis, or geomagnetic storms on Earth are directly related to the influence of the solar wind.
sun and life on Earth
for humans, animals and plants that live on the Earth, the sun and the light emitted by them - something extremely important.In those places where the rays come in limited quantities, noticed a small variety of biological forms, shortening the growing season for plants, dwarf species.Sunlight - the basis for photosynthesis.And contained in the leaves of plants Chlorophyll is one of the basic conditions of life on Earth, according to most scholars.And many types of animals (and people) there, thanks to eating plants and the accumulation of solar energy in the body.Another important factor for the existence of all living things is the ultraviolet radiation of the Sun, with which produce vitamin D. But from excessive ultraviolet radiation of our planet protects the ozone layer, without which, according to the researchers, life forms have not been able to get to dry landfrom the waters of the World Ocean.
Explain what is in the sun for children - is not difficult.But to understand the structural features of a huge star such as this, it is necessary to represent the infinite value of the gas volume, which is concentrated in one place of the solar system.And if you say simply, the Sun is in the majority, and hydrogen and helium.These gases are very light, but the star itself - very heavy and weighs as 330,000 planets identical to the Earth.A temperature to which warmed these and other elements that make up the - up to 15 million degrees.Much of the data on the composition of stars by modern scholars were obtained by spectral analysis of sunlight that reaches the Earth, and are quite accurate.
