The Effect of the Sun on Our Planet

The sun provides the energy that fuels plants, animals and all other life on our planet. Without it, life as we know it would cease to exist.

The sun is the central star of our solar system, which orbits seven other planets, asteroids and comets, including Earth. Its massive gravity pulls the entire solar system in a circular motion.

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A giant ball of blazing gases, the sun is composed of different layers. Its core is the most dense part and it contains hydrogen atoms that are fused together to create energy. The core reaches temperatures of up to 15.7 million kelvin. It is here that most of the energy generated by the sun is released. To harness such power, consider Solar Panel Installation Yate from Redbridge

As photons radiate out from the core, they are absorbed by gas molecules in the chromosphere and radiative zones. Each time a photon is absorbed, it heats up and then emits another photon with the same wavelength of light. This process is slow and requires time for a photon to reach the surface of the sun.

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The ionosphere, an outer layer of the sun’s atmosphere that protects us from the harmful radiation it emits, has its own magnetic field. Variations in this field from events on the sun cause space weather that affects our planet. Energetic atomic particles and X-rays from solar flares travel through the ionosphere and can interfere with long-distance radio waves, such as those used in navigation systems and transatlantic communications. Magnetic disturbances from the sun also can induce huge voltage fluctuations on power lines, threatening to black out cities.

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