So, what's basically inside and outside the sun? To know the answer to this question we need to understand the structure of the sun. So, let's get started
So, here's the composition of the sun. Now we will be learning about all these layers briefly. There are inner and outer layers. The inner layer includes the core, radiative zone, and convection zone. The outer layer (Atmosphere Layer) includes the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona.
Inner Layers
Core
The core is the innermost layer of the sun. This is the engine of the sun, here only all the light and heat are created in the form of energy. Now the question arises that how the sun produces energy? So, the energy is produced by a process called Nuclear Fusion. Now, what is this nuclear fusion? When two lighter nuclei combine to form a heavy nucleus, a large amount of energy is released. This process is called nuclear fusion. Then, which nuclei are there in the sun? The nuclei of two hydrogen atoms join together to form a heavy nucleus of helium with the release of a large amount of energy. This released energy reaches us in the form of sunlight, ultraviolet rays, and heat.
The radius of the core is 138,403 km. The temperature of the core is 15 million degrees Celsius. Just imagine this temperature, it will not even take a second for a man to die in this part of the sun.
Radiative Zone
This layer is the second innermost layer of the sun. The thickness of the radiative zone is 374,977 km and the temperature in this zone is 7 million degrees Celsius. This is the second most dense layer after the core. An interesting fact about this layer is that when the energy is released from the core of the sun it enters the radiative zone and it takes 171,000 years for the energy to enter the next layer i.e. convection zone. So, from this fact, it is concluded that the radiative zone is highly dense but, the core is denser than the radiative zone.
Convection Zone
The convection zone is the outermost layer of the inner layers. As compared to the radiative zone this zone has less thick, it is 181,056 km. The temperature of the base of this layer is 2,000,00 degrees Celsius and the outer part is 6,000 degrees Celsius. As there is so much difference in the temperature of this layer, convection takes place. Now, what is convection? So, Convection is the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid (liquid or gas) between areas of different temperatures. As convection is taking place, the heat energy is radiated outside.
Atmosphere Layers (Outer Layers)
Photosphere
The innermost layer of the Atmosphere is the Photosphere. As the name suggests, from here the light gets out of the sun. Therefore, the photosphere is the main layer of the sun from where the light starts spreading. The reason behind the solar flares in the sun is this photosphere. The thickness of the photosphere is 402 km and the temperature is 11,000 to 6,700 degrees Celsius.
Chromosphere
This is the second outer and inner layer of the atmosphere layer of the sun. The thickness of this layer is 10,000 km and the temperature is 3,700 to 7,700 degrees Celsius. This layer can be seen at the time of a full solar eclipse and the color of this layer is red.
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| Chromosphere |
Corona
This is the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere. The corona is the most thickened layer of 5,000,000 km. This is the hottest layer in the sun's atmosphere at 2 million degrees Celsius. This layer is also seen at the time of a full solar eclipse with white color.
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| Corona |
Just wait a minute, I have told you that the corona is the hottest atmospheric layer of the sun but how it could be, as it is the outermost layer? Everyone knows that the temperature should decrease as the distance increases from the source, but why is it opposite to the sun? Well, the answer to this question is not known yet but scientists are trying their best to find the answer.
Do you know how our sun was formed? If not you may read my last post on the Formation of the Sun.
~Thank you for reading~