Interior of the Sun
Interior of the Sun
The Sun is a massive ball of hot gases that provides light and heat to Earth. Scientists study its interior to understand how it pr…
Have you ever wondered what's inside the Sun, the star that lights up our world? Even though we can't see its interior, scientists have uncovered much about it using spacecraft like the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.
The Sun is a swirling ball of superheated gases, mainly hydrogen and helium.
Its interior comprises three main layers: the core, the radiative zone, and the convection zone.
The Sun's core is its powerhouse, where the extreme temperature is around 15 million degrees Celsius. Here, nuclear fusion occurs—hydrogen nuclei combine to form a helium nucleus, releasing enormous energy. This energy powers the entire solar system!
The radiative zone surrounds the core, where energy slowly moves outward. Light particles travel through this zone for millions of years as they constantly collide with other particles.
Outside the radiative zone is the convection zone. The hot material rises, cools at the surfaces, sinks back, and then reheats, repeating the cycle continuously.
These three layers make up the interior of the Sun, a dynamic system that produces the light and heat we rely on daily.
Have you ever wondered what's inside the Sun, the star that lights up our world? Even though we can't see its interior, scientists have uncovered much about it using spacecraft like the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.
The Sun is a swirling ball of superheated gases, mainly hydrogen and helium.
Its interior comprises three main layers: the core, the radiative zone, and the convection zone.
The Sun's core is its powerhouse, where the extreme temperature is around 15 million degrees Celsius. Here, nuclear fusion occurs—hydrogen nuclei combine to form a helium nucleus, releasing enormous energy. This energy powers the entire solar system!
The radiative zone surrounds the core, where energy slowly moves outward. Light particles travel through this zone for millions of years as they constantly collide with other particles.
Outside the radiative zone is the convection zone. The hot material rises, cools at the surfaces, sinks back, and then reheats, repeating the cycle continuously.
These three layers make up the interior of the Sun, a dynamic system that produces the light and heat we rely on daily.
View the full transcript and gain access to JoVE Core videos