Sun Timeline Flashcards
What is the age of the sun?
The sun is 4.603 billion years old
What is the scientific evidence for the age of the sun?
Radioactive Dating; method of dating rocks and minerals using radioactive isotopes
What is studied during Radioactive Dating?
Meteorites, Meteors, and comets since they were formed along side the sun
What is a nebula?
A giant cloud of dust and gas in space thrown out by dying stars
What is the elemental composition of the sun’s nebula?
74% Hydrogen / 24% Helium / 2% Carbon, Nitrogen, and Oxygen
Where did the elements in the sun’s nebula come from?
Death explosions of older stars
What is the fusion reaction occurring in the sun today(main sequence)?
Proton-Proton Fusion Reactions or Nuclear Fusion Reactions
What are Proton-Proton Fusion Reactions or Nuclear Fusion reactions?
Hydrogen atoms turn into Helium; 4 hydrogen atoms and mass is converted into energy
Include a picture of energy traveling from the sun to the Earth
20% scattered and reflected into clouds
51% absorbed by earth
19% absorbed by atmosphere and clouds
4% reflected by surface
6% scattered by atmosphere
How does energy from the sun travel to the earth?
As the sun’s temperature rises due to conduction and escapes the atmosphere of the sun, it travels via electromagnetic waves or radiation.
*Not all energy is absorbed by earth
What is a red giant?
Dying Star in its late Stellar evolution; when hydrogen fuel for nuclear fusion runs out
What is the fusion reaction occurring at the red giant stage?
Core begins to contract but its outer layer expands due to Hydrogen Fusion. / Fuses Hydrogen into Helium in a shell around the helium core
When will the sun turn into a red giant?
5 billion years
What is the scientific reasoning for when the sun will turn into a red giant?
After a long time, once the suns runs out of all its hydrogen in its core, it will begin to collapse heating up the core, producing mass amounts of hydrogen and helium causing a hydrogen shell to form, becoming a red giant’s
What is a planetary nebula?
Region of cosmic gas and dust formed from the cast-off outer layers of a dying star
