BETA
Chapter 1
The nuclear heart of our star
Chapter 2
The chaotic magnetic surface
Chapter 3
Storms that strike the Earth
Chapter 4
The death of our star
YOUR GOAL
Master of Our violent Sun
Ch 2 · The chaotic magnetic surface
artiteacher Spin the magnetic solar swirls to discover how the sun launches violent space storms.
artiteacher The chaotic magnetic surface
Magnetic fields twist, / plasma cools down, / it's raining on the Sun!
artiteacher Solar flares release massive bursts of radiation when tangled magnetic fields suddenly reconnect.
artiteacher Sunspots are temporary cool regions created where intense magnetic loops block rising heat.
Fun Fact
Sunspot brightness: Sunspots look pitch black, but if you placed one in the night sky, it would shine brighter than the full moon.
Glossary
sunspot (noun)
A temporary dark region on the sun's surface that is cooler than its surroundings. In 1843, Heinrich Schwabe discovered that these magnetic patches fluctuate over an eleven-year solar cycle.
A temporary dark region on the sun's surface that is cooler than its surroundings. In 1843, Heinrich Schwabe discovered that these magnetic patches fluctuate over an eleven-year solar cycle.
Quiz
Which ancient civilization recorded some of the earliest observations of sunspots around 364 BCE?
Quiz
How long can stable solar prominences loop in the Sun's atmosphere before erupting?