advanced: the sun
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The Sun’s Magnetic Show
Do you recognize the name Galileo Galilei? Galileo was the classical astronomer who made the drawing above. I have little idea what his writing actually says — it’s in Latin — but it’s clear enough what this early diagram is…
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Spots on the Sun
Have you ever looked at the sun, and seen something like this? Now, before you decide to look at it right now and see what you see, it’s my responsibility as an amateur astronomer to remind you of the safety…
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The Solar Neutrino
Ever heard of a neutrino? Well, I guess now you have. But what exactly is a neutrino? Don’t worry, they’re not harmful. They’re passing through you this very second and you’ll never notice them, not in your whole life. They’ll never…
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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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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…
