June 2nd, 2024
Team LTG
Ever wondered what makes up the Sun's atmosphere? It's not just one layer, but several! Each with unique properties and extreme temperatures.
The visible surface we see from Earth. Sunspots and granules appear here. Temperature: ~5,500 °C (9,932 °F)
A thin layer above the photosphere, visible during eclipses as a reddish glow. Temperature: ~10,000 °C (18,032 °F)
A rapid temperature change occurs between the chromosphere and the corona. Temperature: ~500,000 °C (900,032 °F)
The Sun's outermost layer is visible during a total solar eclipse. Temperature: ~1-3 million °C (1.8-5.4 million °F)
A stream of charged particles flows from the corona into space, affecting Earth's magnetic field and causing auroras.
Powerful bursts of radiation from the Sun's surface can disrupt Earth's communication systems.
Large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the corona can trigger geomagnetic storms on Earth.