Exam 11: The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star

A hydrogen nucleus (a proton) has a charge of +1, and a helium nucleus has a charge of +2. Why, then, does it require four protons to form helium in the core of the Sun?

The surface of the Sun near its edge appears dimmer and cooler than at the center of the disk when viewed in visible light because one sees

The year 2013 marked a sunspot maximum. What does this mean?

The total light emitted by the solar corona, which is seen MOST effectively during a total solar eclipse, is equivalent in brightness to

The Maunder minimum is the name given to the

How many joules of energy would be released if a U.S. penny (2.5 *10^-3 kg) were converted entirely to energy? The speed of light is 3 *10⁸ m/s.

The temperature of the Sun's photosphere is nearly

Convection currents in the Sun's interior occupy what fraction of the Sun's radius?

The approximate temperature of the visible surface of the Sun is

The highest temperatures in the Sun are found in the

What are the MOST energetic eruptive events to occur on the Sun?

Where do spicules tend to occur on the Sun?

The thickness of the photosphere, or the visible "surface" of the Sun, is

Where is most of the mass of the Sun concentrated?

The dominant energy source that powers the Sun at the present time is

Compared with the photosphere, the solar chromosphere is

In the 1920s, Arthur Eddington made a proposal that proved vital to showing how stars generate energy. This was that

The granulation observed on the photosphere of the Sun appears to be the result of

Apart from the helium nuclei and energy that are produced in proton-proton reactions in the Sun's core, what are the other by-products?

The temperature of the Sun throughout its radius and including its atmosphere