Astronomy
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Energy Flow from the Sun’s Core
Ask any climate scientist how we should power our world without fossil fuels, and they’re bound to tell you about wind and solar power. You might be surprised to know that both of these come from the sun. Solar panels…
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The Proton-Proton Chain
Take a wild guess: how much energy do you think the sun generates? Think about it. It definitely generates enough energy to power a world. Humans depend on the photosynthesis of plants, which converts sunlight into energy. And that’s not…
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The Battery of the Sun
Does this image look familiar? It should — these are soap bubbles. Okay, now you’re probably going to ask me how soap bubbles have anything to do with the battery of the sun. Well…you might be surprised to know that…
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Our Sun: Helioseismology
We can’t see below the surface of the sun. That makes sense, really. We can’t see below the surface of the Earth, either — we have to get creative if we want to find out what goes on below the…
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Our Sun: The Corona
When we observe our sun’s corona, we discover something odd. It’s really, really hot. But…wait a second. How is that odd? Shouldn’t the sun be hot? Well…yes. It should, and it is. Its surface temperature is almost ten thousand degrees…
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Our Sun: The Chromosphere
This diagram is a tiny bit misleading. Here, it looks like the chromosphere is the visible surface of the sun, with the photosphere just below. Really, we never see the chromosphere. If you ever look through a solar telescope at…
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Our Sun: The Photosphere
Recognize this? You might, if you’ve ever seen the sun through a telescope before. What you’re seeing is the photosphere, the layer of the sun whose light reaches Earth. This is the only layer you’ll ever see, without the aid…
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The Doppler Effect
Have you ever heard the ice cream truck? When I was little, I remember hearing the ice cream truck all the time. Just the sound of the opening notes of “Pop Goes the Weasel” were enough to propel me to…
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Star Stuff & Cecilia Payne
If this quote really is from Cecilia Payne, then she had the right idea — at least for a female astronomer in the 1920s. Women in science back then faced an uphill battle to get recognized for any discoveries they…
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Types of Stars
Meet the sun: a G2 class star towards the middle of its lifespan. Wait a second…G2? What does that even mean? It’s all part of a way astronomers break down the billions of stars in the sky and organize them…
