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Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler
Explanation:
Our Sun may look like all soft and fluffy, but its not.
Our Sun is an extremely large ball of
bubbling hot gas, mostly
hydrogen gas.
The
above picture was taken in a
specific color of light emitted by hydrogen gas called
Hydrogen-alpha.
Granules cover the solar
photosphere surface like shag
carpet,
interrupted by bright regions containing dark
sunspots.
Visible at the left edge is a
solar prominence.
Our Sun glows because it is hot, but it is not on fire.
Fire is the rapid acquisition of oxygen,
and there is very little
oxygen on the Sun.
The energy source of our Sun is the nuclear
fusion of hydrogen into
helium deep within its core.
Astronomers are still working to understand,
however, why so few
neutrinos are
measured from the
Sun's core.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: photosphere - H-alpha
Publications with words: photosphere - H-alpha
See also: