In which layer of the Sun does nuclear fusion produce energy?

The photosphere The corona The convective zone The core

Approximately how hot is the core of the Sun?

About 5,500 degrees Celsius About 1 million degrees Celsius About 15 million degrees Celsius About 15 billion degrees Celsius

A photon (particle of light) produced in the Sun's core takes roughly how long to travel through the radiative zone to the surface?

About 8 minutes About 1,000 years Between 100,000 and 170,000 years About 1 billion years

What process moves energy through the convective zone?

Radiation — photons carry energy directly outward Convection — hot plasma rises, releases energy, cools, and sinks back down Conduction — heat passes from particle to particle like a metal rod Nuclear fusion — energy is produced throughout the outer layers too

The photosphere is the Sun's visible surface. Approximately how hot is it?

About 100 degrees Celsius About 5,500 degrees Celsius About 1 million degrees Celsius About 15 million degrees Celsius

The Sun's outer atmosphere — the corona — is millions of degrees hotter than the photosphere directly below it. Why is this a scientific mystery?

It violates known physics — no energy can exist at that temperature It seems to violate common sense — you would expect the corona to cool as it moves away from the energy source, not heat up The corona is actually cold — its glow comes from reflected sunlight The corona is heated by solar wind from other stars

During a total solar eclipse, which layer of the Sun becomes visible to the naked eye as a white, wispy halo around the Moon?

The photosphere The core The radiative zone The corona

What is granulation on the Sun's photosphere?

Small nuclear explosions on the surface that release energy Rock-like solid materials at the boundary of the photosphere A pattern of bright cells (rising hot plasma) surrounded by darker borders (sinking cooled plasma) caused by convection Craters formed by asteroids hitting the Sun's surface

The chromosphere sits just above the photosphere. When is it visible to the naked eye?

On any clear night when the Sun is below the horizon During the brief moments at the start and end of a total solar eclipse, when it appears as a thin reddish ring When there are many sunspots, causing the chromosphere to glow It is always visible through a standard pair of binoculars

Which layer of the Sun would you be looking at when you observe sunspots?

The corona The core The photosphere The radiative zone

What is hydrostatic equilibrium in the context of the Sun?

The process by which the Sun stays wet and liquid on the inside The balance between the outward pressure from fusion energy and the inward pull of the Sun's own gravity, keeping the Sun stable The way water in solar prominences keeps the corona cool The equal distribution of temperature throughout the convective zone