The Sun is an enormous, extraterrestrial body that is many times larger than Earth. Many scientists have referred to it as a massive nuclear reactor that burns numerous amounts of hydrogen; and just like an actual nuclear reactor, hydrogen is the essential fuel in nuclear fusion reactions. The hydrogen in these fusion reactions fuse together to form beryllium, helium, and lithium atoms. “The temperature on the surface of the Sun is approximately six thousand degrees Celsius. While at its core, it is about a million degrees Celsius” (Solarsystem.nasa.gov,2013). The Sun, just like all other stars in the galaxy, is also a star, but it differs from the rest due to the fact that the distance of the Sun from the Earth is less than a light year away
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It begins with the buildup of pressure due to the Sun’s gravity. This gravity starts to pull the Sun’s mass in, creating a buildup of pressure. It then begins to start the early phases of nuclear fusion. The pressure that has now been created forces atoms of hydrogen to fuse together in nuclear reactions. The energy produced then gives off varying spectrums of light, such as infrared, ultraviolet, and visible light. The Sun also produces and gives off waves; theses consist of microwaves, radio waves and x-rays. One interesting phenomenon caused by the Sun is its solar winds. These winds are composed of energized particles that are given off by the Sun. The energy that is then produced from these stellar winds do their part in providing warmth for Earth, and it even has an impact on the weather. If it were not for the Earth’s defined atmosphere, the Sun’s radiation and solar winds could cause potential harm to all life forms. As mentioned before, the process that allows the Sun to produce heat and light is referred to as nuclear fusion; it is the process in which the Sun gives off light and heat. Nuclear Fusion occurs when two or more nuclei of atoms fuse together to create a third element, which in the end will have a higher atomic number than the atoms which started the process. Most of the heat given off is caused by nuclear fusion. To elaborate and better explain, the convection in the core of the Sun, which
It begins with the buildup of pressure due to the Sun’s gravity. This gravity starts to pull the Sun’s mass in, creating a buildup of pressure. It then begins to start the early phases of nuclear fusion. The pressure that has now been created forces atoms of hydrogen to fuse together in nuclear reactions. The energy produced then gives off varying spectrums of light, such as infrared, ultraviolet, and visible light. The Sun also produces and gives off waves; theses consist of microwaves, radio waves and x-rays. One interesting phenomenon caused by the Sun is its solar winds. These winds are composed of energized particles that are given off by the Sun. The energy that is then produced from these stellar winds do their part in providing warmth for Earth, and it even has an impact on the weather. If it were not for the Earth’s defined atmosphere, the Sun’s radiation and solar winds could cause potential harm to all life forms. As mentioned before, the process that allows the Sun to produce heat and light is referred to as nuclear fusion; it is the process in which the Sun gives off light and heat. Nuclear Fusion occurs when two or more nuclei of atoms fuse together to create a third element, which in the end will have a higher atomic number than the atoms which started the process. Most of the heat given off is caused by nuclear fusion. To elaborate and better explain, the convection in the core of the Sun, which