10-3 Temperatures in the Sun's Atmosphere

Question 1

photosphere temperature

Answer 1

5800 K

Question 2

lower chromosphere temperature

Answer 2

4000 K

Question 3

top of the chromosphere

Answer 3

10,000 K

Question 4

corona temperature

Answer 4

1 million K

Question 5

temperature variation with altitude in the sun

Answer 5

in the narrow transition region between the chromosphere and corona, the temperature rises abruptly by about a factor of 100

Question 6

the solar wind

Answer 6

gas funnels out of the solar corona at millions of km/hr forming the solar wind, which is made of 99.9% H and He. only 9 particles per cm^3 reach earth (compared to 6 x 10^9 molecules/cm in air)

Question 7

the heliosphere

Answer 7

the heliosphere is a bubble in space created by the solar wind containing the sun and planets

Question 8

particles released by the sun

Answer 8

the sun ejects 1 million tons of matter per second as a solar wind but it’s so giant that it has only lost a few tenths of a percent in its lifetime