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Why does the sun shine and warm? How does the sun heat the earth? The rays of the sun do not warm the earth

There is enough solar heat and light for all living beings on Earth, despite the fact that the Sun is at a distance of almost 150,000,000 km from us, and if suddenly our Sun went out, stopped shining and warming, it would become so cold that the whole water on Earth, even the air would freeze. People, animals, plants would die. Our planet would become cold and dead.

The temperature on the surface of the Sun is about 6 OOPS. At such a high temperature, iron and other metals not only melt, but turn into hot gases. Therefore, on the Sun there are neither solid nor liquid substances: there is only hot gas. The sun is a huge hot ball of gas. The temperature inside the Sun is even higher than on its surface. Near the center of the ball, it reaches 15 million degrees. Such heat inside the Sun has existed for several billion years and will continue to exist for about the same amount.

What happens inside the sun? Why doesn't this giant fire go out? Astronomers and physicists have been pondering the question for a long time: how is a very high temperature maintained inside the Sun for billions of years? Most scientists believe that inside the Sun chemical element hydrogen is converted into another chemical element helium. Hydrogen particles combine into heavier particles, with this combination, energy is released in the form of light and heat, which is dissipated by the Sun in outer space and comes to Earth to give life to all living things.

“With excitement, we looked through twelve more plates ... and on four of them we found the same object, no doubt - a new comet, since at close exposures its movement relative to the stars was noticeable. After reviewing all the catalogs and ephemeris for 1969 on cometary circulars, it was found that the comet is really new and we are holding ...

Deserts can be classified in different ways: By climatic zones: polar - Antarctica, Greenland, the coast and islands of the Arctic; temperate climate, cold and warm - in the Central and Central Asia, in North America and Patagonia; and, finally, subtropical hot ones - Sahara, deserts of Australia, Hindustan, Pacific coast South America. According to the composition of the soil: sandy (ergs), sandy-gravelly, gravel-gypsum (serir, reg), stony (gam-mada, ...

When you penetrate deep underground, it seems that you find yourself in a completely lifeless, frozen world. But it only seems. More than 800 species of bats live in the caves - the largest representatives of the underground animal world. Bats perform at night the useful work that birds do during the day - they destroy many harmful insects. Since ancient times, man has considered bats ...

Greenland is the largest and one of the oldest islands in the world. Its northern tip, located above 85 degrees north latitude, is located at a distance of about 700 kilometers from the North Pole, and its southern tip is at the sixtieth parallel, that is, approximately at the same latitude as St. Petersburg. The length of the island is about 2,700 kilometers. Greenland is almost entirely covered in ice, which…

Why does the starry sky seem to be rotating, and why exactly is the North Star almost motionless? It turns out that the reason for this apparent movement of the stars is the rotation of the Earth. Just as a person whirling around the room imagines that the whole room is spinning around him, so we, who are on the rotating Earth, see as if moving stars. Our Earth has an axis of rotation...

Near Andromeda is the constellation Pegasus, which is especially visible at midnight in mid-October. Three stars of this constellation and. the star alpha Andromedae form a figure that astronomers called the "Big Square". It can be easily found in the autumn sky. The winged horse Pegasus arose from the body of Medusa Gorgon decapitated by Perseus, but did not inherit anything bad from her ....

This constellation was called among the Greeks Hydrochos, among the Romans - Aquarius, among the Arabs - Sakib-al-ma. All this meant the same thing: a person pouring water. The constellation of Aquarius is associated with the Greek myth of Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha, the only people who escaped the Flood. The name of the constellation really leads to the “homeland of the global flood” - to the valley of the Tigris rivers ...

In astronomy, a satellite is a body that revolves around a larger body and is held by its force of attraction. The Moon is the Earth's satellite. Earth is a satellite of the Sun. All planets in the solar system, with the exception of Mercury and Venus, have satellites. artificial satellites are man-made spacecraft revolving around the earth or another planet. They are launched for various purposes: ...

Precise measurements show that the diameter of the Sun is not constant. A few years ago, astronomers discovered that the volume of the sun decreases and increases by several kilometers every 2 hours and 40 minutes, and this period remains strictly constant. With a period of 2 hours 40 minutes, the luminosity of the Sun also changes, i.e. the energy they radiate. Such changes in the volume of the Sun are called radial pulsations….

Even in ancient times, observers noticed that in the sky, in addition to fixed stars, there are special wandering luminaries, and they called them planets (planet in Greek means wandering). At first glance, the planet and the star are really very similar. But if you look closely, you can see that the stars twinkle, and the planets shine with an even, calm light. This happens because…

The sun is the main source of energy on Earth. Without it, the existence of life would be impossible. And although everything literally revolves around the Sun, we very rarely think about how our star works.

Structure of the Sun

To understand how the Sun works, you first need to understand its structure.

Core.
Radiant transfer zone.
convective zone.
Atmosphere: photosphere, chromosphere, corona, solar wind.

The diameter of the solar core is 150-175,000 km, about 20-25% of the solar radius. The core temperature reaches 14 million degrees Kelvin. Happening inside all the time thermonuclear reactions with the formation of helium. It is in the nucleus as a result of this reaction that energy is released, as well as heat. The rest of the Sun is heated by this energy, it passes through all the layers to the photosphere.

The radiative transfer zone is located above the nucleus. Energy is transferred by emitting photons and absorbing them.

Above the radiative transfer zone is the convective zone. Here, the transfer of energy is carried out not by reemission, but by the transfer of matter. With a high speed, the colder matter of the photosphere penetrates into the convective zone, and the radiation from the radiative transfer zone rises to the surface - this is convection.

The photosphere is the visible surface of the Sun. Most of this layer comes from visible radiation. Radiation from deeper layers no longer penetrates into the photosphere. The average layer temperature reaches 5778 K.

The chromosphere surrounds the photosphere, it has a reddish hue. From the surface of the chromosphere constantly occur emissions - spicules.

The last outer shell of our star is the corona, composed of energetic eruptions and prominences that form the solar wind that spreads to the farthest corners of the solar system. The average temperature of the corona is 1-2 million K, but there are areas with 20 million K.

The solar wind is a stream of ionized particles propagating to the edges of the heliosphere at a speed of about 400 km/s. Many phenomena on Earth are associated with the solar wind, such as the aurora and magnetic storms.

solar radiation

The solar plasma has a high electrical conductivity, which contributes to the appearance of electric currents and magnetic fields.

The sun is the strongest emitter electromagnetic waves in a world that gives us:

ultra-violet rays;
visible light - 44% of solar energy (mainly yellow-green spectrum);
infrared rays - 48%;
x-ray radiation;
radiation radiation.

Only 8% of the energy is spent on ultraviolet, X-ray and radiation radiation. visible light located between infrared and ultraviolet rays.

The Sun is also a powerful source of non-thermal radio waves. In addition to all kinds of electromagnetic rays, a constant stream of particles is emitted: electrons, protons, neutrinos, and so on.

All types of radiation exert their influence on the Earth. This is the impact we are experiencing.

Exposure to UV rays

Ultraviolet rays affect the Earth and all living beings. Thanks to them, the ozone layer exists, since UV rays destroy oxygen, which is modified into ozone. The Earth's magnetic field, in turn, forms the ozone layer, which, paradoxically, weakens the power of UV exposure.

Ultraviolet affects living organisms and the environment in many ways:

promotes the production of vitamin D;
has antiseptic properties;
causes sunburn;
enhances the work of hematopoietic organs;
increases blood clotting;
the alkaline reserve increases;
disinfects surfaces of objects and liquids;
stimulates metabolic processes.

Exactly ultraviolet radiation promotes self-purification of the atmosphere, eliminates smog, smoke and dust particles.

Depending on latitude, the strength of exposure to UV radiation varies greatly.

Exposure to IR rays: why and how the sun warms

All heat on Earth is infrared rays, which appear due to the thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen to form helium. This reaction is accompanied by a huge release of radiant energy. About 1000 watts per square meter reaches the ground. It is for this reason that IR radiation is often called thermal radiation.

Surprisingly, the Earth acts as an infrared emitter. The planet, as well as the clouds, absorb infrared rays and then re-radiate this energy back into the atmosphere. Substances such as water vapor, water droplets, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, some fluorine and sulfur compounds emit infrared rays in all directions. It is precisely because of this that Greenhouse effect, which keeps the Earth's surface in a constantly heated state.

Infrared rays not only heat the surfaces of objects and living beings, but also have other effects:

disinfect;
improve metabolism;
stimulate blood circulation;
relieve pain;
normalize the water-salt balance;
strengthen immunity.

Why is the sun weak in winter?

Since the Earth revolves around the Sun with some axial tilt, in different time year, the poles deviate. In the first half of the year, the North Pole is turned towards the Sun, in the second - the South. Accordingly, the angle of exposure to solar energy changes, as well as power.

We could not exist if the Sun suddenly stopped shining and warming. It would become so cold on Earth that not only the water in rivers, seas and oceans would freeze, but even the air that people, animals and plants breathe. solar radiation supports life on Earth, influences weather and climate, participates in photosynthesis.
And the Sun shines and warms because it is very hot: at the surface - almost 6 thousand degrees, and in the center - 15 million degrees. At this temperature, iron and other metals not only melt, but turn into hot gases. This means that the Sun is a huge, massive ball consisting of hot gas. In fact, even tiny particles cannot exist on the Sun - atoms, which make up everything living and non-living in nature. Atoms, which are very strong on Earth, are split into even smaller particles in the Sun. Every second, 4.26 million tons of solar matter is converted into energy, but this is an insignificant amount compared to the mass of the Sun. Even at a great distance, the Sun can melt the ice, raise the temperature of the water in rivers and seas, warm or cool the Earth - it can do anything!
The sun has a strong magnetic field. A change in the magnetic field - it is called solar activity - causes different effects: sunspots, flares, solar wind, emissions in the form of prominences - giant fountains of hot gas that rise and are held above the surface of the Sun by a magnetic field. Prominences can reach a height of 600 thousand kilometers - this is about 50 times the diameter of the Earth, and a width of 20 thousand kilometers. Thus, the volume of an average prominence is 100 times the volume of the Earth, but, since it consists of rarefied gases, its mass is very small.
From time to time spots appear on the surface of the Sun. They are called so - "sun spots". They are made of gas, but not as hot as the star itself. The temperature of the Sun at the surface is 6 thousand degrees, in spots -4 or 5 thousand degrees. Because the spots are colder, we see them darker. It is now known that spots are areas where the strongest magnetic fields enter the atmosphere.
How is the temperature of millions of degrees maintained inside the Sun all the time? This is a very complex and important question that many astronomers and physicists have pondered for a long time. Now almost all of them have no doubt that thermonuclear reactions are taking place in the central part of the Sun, as a result of which hydrogen is converted into helium. Moreover, the density of matter there is 150 times greater than the density of water and 7 times greater than the density of the heaviest metal on Earth - osmium. Such an extraordinary “bonfire” has been burning inside the Sun for billions of years and will continue to burn for at least the same amount. And while it burns there, the Sun will send light and heat to each of us and to all life on Earth.

Many people are confused about what is happening in space. In fairness, very few of us have been in space (to put it mildly), and space for many of us has developed with nine planets in solar system and the hair of Sandra Bullock ("Gravity"), which does not flutter in zero gravity. There will be at least one question about space that any person will answer incorrectly. Let's break down ten common space myths.

Perhaps one of the oldest and most common myths about space is this: in the vacuum of space, any person will explode without a special spacesuit. The logic is that since there is no pressure there, we would swell up and burst, like a balloon that has been inflated too much. It may surprise you, but people are much more durable than balloons. We do not burst when they give us an injection, we will not burst in space either - our bodies are too tough for vacuum. Let's get a little carried away, that's a fact. But our bones, skin, and other organs are tough enough to survive this unless someone actively rips them apart. In fact, some people have already experienced extremely low pressure conditions while working on space missions. In 1966, one man was testing a space suit and was suddenly decompressed at 36,500 meters. He lost consciousness, but did not explode. Even survived and fully recovered.

people freeze

This fallacy is often used. How many of you have not seen how someone is overboard a spaceship without a suit? It quickly freezes, and if it is not brought back, it turns into an icicle and floats away. In reality, the exact opposite happens. You will not freeze if you get into space, on the contrary, you will overheat. The water above the heat source will heat up, rise, cool down and again on a new one. But there is nothing in space that could take the heat of water, which means that cooling to freezing point is impossible. Your body will work by producing heat. True, by the time you become unbearably hot, you will already be dead.

The blood is boiling

This myth has nothing to do with the fact that your body will overheat if you find yourself in a vacuum. Instead, it is directly related to the fact that any liquid has a direct relationship with pressure. environment. The higher the pressure, the higher the boiling point, and vice versa. Because it is easier for liquids to change into gas form. People with logic can guess that in space, where there is no pressure at all, liquid will boil, and blood is also liquid. The Armstrong line runs where Atmosphere pressure so low that the liquid will boil at room temperature. The problem is, if liquid boils in space, blood won't. Other liquids will boil, like saliva in your mouth. The man who decompressed at 36,500 meters said that the saliva "cooked" his tongue. Boiling this will be more like drying with a hair dryer. However, blood, unlike saliva, is in a closed system, and your veins will keep it under pressure in a liquid state. Even if you are in a complete vacuum, the fact that the blood is closed in the system means that it will not turn into a gas and escape on its own.

The sun is where the study of space begins. This is a big fireball, around which all the planets revolve, which is far enough away, but warms us and does not burn. Considering that we could not exist without sunlight and heat, the big misconception about the Sun can be considered surprising: that it burns. If you've ever set yourself on fire, congratulations, you've been hit with more fire than the sun could ever give you. In reality, the Sun is a large ball of gas that emits light and heat energy in the process of nuclear fusion, when two hydrogen atoms form a helium atom. The sun gives light and heat, but does not give ordinary fire at all. It's just a big and warm light.

Black holes are funnels

There is another common misconception that can be attributed to the depiction of black holes in movies and cartoons. Of course, they are inherently “invisible”, but for an audience like you and me, they are portrayed as sinister whirlpools of fate. They are depicted as two-dimensional funnels with an exit on one side only. In reality, a black hole is a sphere. It doesn't have one side that will suck you in, rather it's like a planet with giant gravity. If you get too close to it from either side, that's when you get swallowed up.

Re-entry into the atmosphere

We all saw how spaceships re-enter the Earth's atmosphere (the so-called re-entering). This is a serious test for a ship; as a rule, its surface is very hot. Many of us think it's because of the friction between the ship and the atmosphere, and this explanation makes sense: it's like the ship is surrounded by nothing and suddenly starts rubbing against the atmosphere at a tremendous speed. Of course, everything will be hot. Well, the truth is that less than a percent of heat is removed from friction during reentry. The main reason for heating is compression, or compression. As the ship hurtles back towards Earth, the air it passes through compresses and surrounds the ship. This is called the bow shock. The air that collides with the head of the ship pushes it. The speed of what is happening causes the air to heat up without having time to decompress or cool down. Although some of the heat is absorbed by the heat shield, beautiful pictures re-entry into the atmosphere creates exactly the air around the device.

comet tails

Imagine for a second a comet. Most likely, you will imagine a piece of ice rushing through outer space with a tail of light or fire behind. It may come as a surprise to you that the direction of a comet's tail has nothing to do with the direction in which the comet is moving. The fact is that the tail of a comet is not the result of friction or destruction of the body. The solar wind heats the comet and causes the ice to melt, so the ice and sand particles fly in the opposite direction of the wind. Therefore, the comet's tail will not necessarily trail behind it in a plume, but will always be directed away from the sun.

After Pluto's demotion, Mercury became the smallest planet. It is also the closest planet to the Sun, so it would be natural to assume that this is the hottest planet in our system. In short, Mercury is a damn cold planet. First, at the hottest point of Mercury, the temperature is 427 degrees Celsius. Even if such a temperature remained on the entire planet, Mercury would still be colder than Venus (460 degrees). The reason that Venus, which is almost 50 million kilometers farther from the Sun than Mercury, is warmer lies in the atmosphere from carbon dioxide. Mercury has nothing to brag about.

Another reason has to do with its orbit and rotation. Mercury makes a complete revolution around the Sun in 88 Earth days, and a complete revolution around its axis - in 58 Earth days. Night on the planet lasts 58 days, which gives enough time for the temperature to drop to -173 degrees Celsius.

Probes

Everyone knows that the Curiosity rover this moment has an important research work on Mars. But people have forgotten about many of the other probes that we have been sending out over the years. The Opportunity rover landed on Mars in 2003 with the goal of a 90-day mission. 10 years later, it still works. Many people think that we have never sent probes to planets other than Mars. Yes, we sent a lot of satellites into orbit, but to land something on another planet? Between 1970 and 1984, the USSR successfully landed eight probes on the surface of Venus. True, they all burned down, thanks to the unfriendly atmosphere of the planet. The most enduring rover lived for about two hours, much longer than expected.

If we go a little further into space, we will reach Jupiter. For rovers, Jupiter is an even more difficult target than Mars or Venus, as it is made up almost entirely of unridable gas. But this did not stop the scientists and they sent a probe there. In 1989, the Galileo spacecraft went to study Jupiter and its satellites, which they did for the next 14 years. He also dropped a probe on Jupiter, who sent information about the composition of the planet. Although there is another ship on the way to Jupiter, that very first information is invaluable, since at that time the Galileo probe was the only probe that plunged into the atmosphere of Jupiter.

State of weightlessness

This myth seems so obvious that many people do not want to convince themselves. Satellites, spacecraft, astronauts and more do not experience weightlessness. True weightlessness, or microgravity, does not exist and no one has ever experienced it. Most people are under the impression: how is it that astronauts and ships float, because they are far from the Earth and do not experience its gravitational attraction. In fact, it is gravity that allows them to float. During a flyby of the Earth or any other celestial body with significant gravity, the object falls. But because the Earth is constantly moving, these objects do not crash into it.

Earth's gravity is trying to pull the ship to its surface, but the movement continues, so the object continues to fall. This eternal fall leads to the illusion of weightlessness. The astronauts inside the ship also fall, but it seems as if they are floating. The same state can be experienced in a falling elevator or airplane. And you can experience it in a plane free-falling at 9,000 meters.

The temperature on the surface of the Sun is about 6 OOPS. At such a high temperature, iron and other metals not only melt, but turn into hot gases. Therefore, there are neither solid nor liquid substances on the Sun: there is only hot gas. The sun is a huge hot ball of gas. The temperature inside the Sun is even higher than on its surface. Near the center of the ball, it reaches 15 million degrees. Such a high temperature inside the Sun has existed for several billion years and will continue to exist for about the same.

Particles of hydrogen combine into heavier particles, with this combination, energy is released in the form of light and heat, which is scattered by the Sun in outer space and comes to Earth to give life to all living things.

Questions to check:

1. Strong wind with snow - ....
2. Increasing the temperature in winter to 0 degrees or slightly higher for a while - ...
3. The water that appeared during the thaw and the melted snow freezes and forms on the roads - ...
4. Fluffy snow fringe that beautiful everything around - ...

Check yourself:

1. How many winter months. List them.

2. How does the height of the sun in the sky and the length of the day change in winter?

3. Name winter phenomena in inanimate nature.

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