From Earth we only see the outer layer of the Sun. It is called a photosphere and has a temperature of about 6,000 oC, with some cooler areas (4,000 oC) that we call sunspots.
The Sun is a star. We can imagine it as a ball or onion that can be divided into concentric layers. From the inside out are:
Core: is the area of the Sun where nuclear fusion occurs due to the high temperature, that is, the generator of the Sun’s energy. Interested in more information about sun? then must try TheDifferentLanguages for how to say sun in different languages.
Radioactive Zone: The particles carrying the energy (photons) try to escape abroad on a journey that can last about 100,000 years because these photons are continuously absorbed and reissued in a different direction than they were.
Convective zone: in this area the phenomenon of convection occurs, that is, columns of hot gas ascend to the surface, cool and descend again.
Photosphere: it is a thin layer, about 300 km, which is the part of the Sun that we see, the surface. From here, light and heat radiate into space. The temperature is about 5,000oC.
In the photosphere appear the dark spots and the culas that are bright regions around the spots, with a temperature higher than normal of the photosphere and that are related to the magnetic fields of the Sun.
Crown: large layer, high temperatures and very low density. It is made up of rarefied gases and gigantic magnetic fields that vary their shape from hour to hour. This layer is stunningly seen during the entire phase of an eclipse of the Sun.
What’s the sun made of?
The Sun is made of the same materials on Earth and other planets, as the entire Solar System was formed at once in this area of the Milky Way that we occupy. However, these materials are neither distributed in the same proportions nor behave the same.
Solar Energy: How does the Sun work?
Solar energy is created inside the Sun, where the temperature reaches 15 million degrees, with a very high pressure, which causes nuclear reactions. Protons (hydrogen nuclei) are released, which merge into groups of four to form alpha particles (helium nuclei).
Each alpha particle weighs less than the four protons together. The difference is expelled to the surface of the Sun in the form of energy. One gram of solar matter releases as much energy as the combustion of 2.5 million litres of gasoline.
The energy generated in the center of the Sun takes a million years to reach the solar surface. Every second, 700 million tons of hydrogen are converted into helium ash. In the process 5 million tons of pure energy are released, so the Sun becomes lighter and lighter.
The Sun also absorbs matter. It is so large and has such force that it often attracts asteroids and comets passing by. Naturally, when they fall into the Sun, they disintegrate and become part of the star.