Today is Wednesday, June 5th, 2013
Homework:- Complete rockets (launch is THIS FRIDAY!!!!)- Understand how Newton’s Third Law of Motion
makes YOUR particular rocket work!Warm UP:With your shoulder partner, discuss what you know
about the center of our solar system? Is the sun the only star in the sky? Do you know the names of any other stars in the sky?
Goal for Today
• SWBAT demonstrate an understanding of the characteristic of stars by exploring the sun as an example and looking at examples of other stars.
Only write down the BLUE text…
Date: Wednesday, June 5th, 2013Title: Stars
StarA gigantic ball of very hot gases (hydrogen
and helium) reacting by the process of nuclear fusion that give off electromagnetic
radiation.
Relative Size of Planets and the Sun
Putting Earth in Perspective
Rocky (Terrestrial) Planets (and Pluto) in our Solar System
Terrestrial planets (and Pluto) with gas giants (rings not shown)
All planets in the Solar System, plus Pluto,and the Sun
The Sun in relation to large orange giant stars and Sirius (White Dwarf)
The Sun in relation to Red Supergiant stars Betelgeuse and Antares
Types of Stars
Factors that affect the brightness of a star as seen from Earth:
• Size• Distance from Earth• Temperature
– Red is the coolest (but generally the largest in volume)
– Orange and yellow are slightly hotter– White or blue-white stars are the hottest
The SunA medium-heat (a little on the cooler side) Yellow Star at the
center of our Solar System
Layers of the Sun’s AtmospherePhotosphere – 6,000 K
Chromosphere – 10,000 K
Chromosphere/Corona Transition Region – 30,000 to 500,000 K
Prominence – 10,000 K
Corona – 1,500,000 K
Artist’s Depiction
The Sun’s corona can be seen very well during a Solar Eclipse(NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN, EVEN DURING AN ECLIPSE,
WITHOUT PROPER PROTECTION!!!)
Sun Spots
Darker spots on the photosphere that are cooler than areas around it
Sun spotsOn a clear day, the sun looks like this
Sun Spots!
Prominences
Loops and fountains of blazing gases that leap out of the chromosphere
Solar Flares
Parts of the chromosphere that erupt like a volcano
Solar Flares interacting with Earth’s magnetic field
The effects of solar flares interactingwith Earth’s magnetic field (auroras) as seen from Earth’s surface and near-Earth orbit
Largest flare every recordedNovember 4, 2003
Closing it up…
• What kind of activity on the surface of the Sun can disrupt Earth’s magnetic field– Solar Flares
• What type of star is our Sun?– Yellow Star
• What are the hottest stars in the sky?– Blue and white stars
