Concept explainers
Whether we can able to see deeper into the sun.
Answer to Problem 1RQ
No, we can’t able to see deeper into the sun. The sun’s visible layer is the photosphere.
Explanation of Solution
The sun’s atmospheres are photosphere, chromosphere and corona layers. The visible surface of the sun is photosphere. It is not a solid state. The photosphere has more gaseous state. It is really a very low-density gas layer.
Above the photosphere is the chromosphere. The lower edge of the chromosphere is lying above the visible surface of the sun. Most of the solar photons escape to the space from the photosphere. So we can able to the photosphere layer of the sun.
Conclusion:
Therefore, No, we can’t able to see deeper into the sun. The sun’s visible layer is the photosphere.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 8 Solutions
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
- What is the average density of the Sun? How does it compare to the average density of Earth?arrow_forwardStarting from the core of the Sun and going outward, the temperature decreases. Yet, above the photosphere, the temperature increases. How can this be?arrow_forwardDo you think that nuclear fusion takes place in the atmospheres of stars? Why or why not?arrow_forward
- Make a sketch of the Sun’s atmosphere showing the locations of the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. What is the approximate temperature of each of these regions?arrow_forwardHow does activity on the Sun affect natural phenomena on Earth?arrow_forwardDescribe in your own words what is meant by the statement that the Sun is in hydrostatic equilibrium.arrow_forward
- Why do sunspots look dark?arrow_forwardFrom the information in Figure 15.21, estimate the speed with which the particles in the CME in parts (c) and (d) are moving away from the Sun. Figure 15.21 Flare and Coronal Mass Ejection. This sequence of four images shows the evolution over time of a giant eruption on the Sun. (a) The event began at the location of a sunspot group, and (b) a flare is seen in far-ultraviolet light. (c) Fourteen hours later, a CME is seen blasting out into space. (d) Three hours later, this CME has expanded to form a giant cloud of particles escaping from the Sun and is beginning the journey out into the solar system. The white circle in (c) and (d) shows the diameter of the solar photosphere. The larger dark area shows where light from the Sun has been blocked out by a specially designed instrument to make it possible to see the faint emission from the corona. (credit a, b, c, d: modification of work by SOHO/EIT, SOHO/LASCO, SOHO/MDI (ESA & NASA))arrow_forwardSuppose an eruptive prominence rises at a speed of 150 km/s. If it does not change speed, how far from the photosphere will it extend after 3 hours? How does this distance compare with the diameter of Earth?arrow_forward
- Which aspects of the Sun’s activity cycle have a period of about 11 years? Which vary during intervals of about 22 years?arrow_forwardIf a sunspot has a temperature of 4200 K and the average solar photosphere has a temperature of 5780 K, how much more energy is emitted in 1 second from a square meter of the photosphere compared to a square meter of the sunspot? (Hint: Use the Stefan-Boltzmann law, Eq. 7-1.)arrow_forwardDescribe how energy makes its way from the nuclear core of the Sun to the atmosphere. Include the name of each layer and how energy moves through the layer.arrow_forward
- Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399944Author:Michael A. SeedsPublisher:Cengage LearningFoundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399920Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning
- AstronomyPhysicsISBN:9781938168284Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. WolffPublisher:OpenStaxStars and GalaxiesPhysicsISBN:9781305120785Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning