With reference to the Sun’s structure, consider the following st...
, it is the star at the center of our solar system. It is a nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, with internal convective motion that generates a magnetic field via a dynamo process. The Sun has a diameter of about 1.4 million kilometers (870,000 miles), which is about 109 times that of Earth. It accounts for about 99.86% of the total mass of the Solar System, with the remaining mass distributed among all the planets, moons, asteroids, and other celestial bodies.
The Sun is composed primarily of hydrogen (about 74% by mass) and helium (about 24% by mass), with trace amounts of other elements. It undergoes a process called nuclear fusion, where hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the process. This energy is what provides heat and light to our planet and sustains life on Earth.
The Sun is classified as a G-type main-sequence star, or a yellow dwarf star. It has a surface temperature of about 5,500 degrees Celsius (9,932 degrees Fahrenheit) and a core temperature of about 15 million degrees Celsius (27 million degrees Fahrenheit). It emits energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, infrared radiation, and ultraviolet radiation.
The Sun also has an 11-year solar cycle, where its magnetic field goes through a period of activity and then calms down. This activity is characterized by the appearance of sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections. These events can have an impact on Earth's climate, communication systems, and even power grids, due to the release of high-energy particles and radiation.
The Sun is located about 149.6 million kilometers (93 million miles) away from Earth, which is known as an astronomical unit (AU). It takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for the sunlight to reach our planet. The Sun's gravity keeps all the planets in the solar system in their orbits, and its immense mass and energy play a crucial role in shaping the dynamics of the entire system.
Overall, the Sun is a fascinating and essential component of our solar system, providing us with light, heat, and the conditions necessary for life to thrive on Earth. Its study is vital for our understanding of the universe and our place within it.
With reference to the Sun’s structure, consider the following st...
Recently, scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) through their latest study have given a clearer picture of how the sun’s magnetic field influences the interplanetary magnetic space.
- According to the Department of Science and Technology, scientists now are one step closer to identifying the source of the Solar Mean Magnetic Field (SMMF).
About Solar Mean Magnetic Field:
- It is the mean value of the line-of-sight (LOS) component of the solar vector magnetic field averaged over the visible hemisphere as well as its relationship with Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF).
- The sun contains the corona (the outer shell of the sun’s atmosphere), the photosphere (the visible surface), and the chromosphere (near-transparent layer, just above the photosphere) with the magnetic field generated by electrical currents acting as a magnetic dynamo inside the sun.
- However, so far, the studies on the SMMF have mostly been confined to the magnetic field measurements at the photosphere.
- New Findings:
- Scientists in their quest to understand if and how the SMMF at chromospheric heights is related to the SMMF at photospheric heights have found a very good similarity between the two.
- The value of chromospheric SMMF is lower than the photospheric SMMF, thereby suggesting that the primordial magnetic field inside the sun could be a source of the SMMF.
- They calculated and analysed the SMMF using magnetic field measurements at the chromosphere, in conjunction with that of photospheric measurements.
- These electrical currents are generated by the flow of hot, ionised gases in the sun’s convection zone.
Hence only statement 1 is correct.
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