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Amiga Collections: Topik
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Topik - Disk 39 - Educational (19xx)(Topik Public Domain)(PD)[WB].zip
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Topik - Disk 39 - Educational (19xx)(Topik Public Domain)(PD)[WB].adf
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FASTFACTS
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SOLAR-SYSTEM
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SUN
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1991-03-09
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T H E S U N
The Sun is a star. It is made up of about 90% hydrogen, 9% helium and
about 1% is made up of traces of the other elements. The core of the Sun
is estimated to be about 16,000,000° K. The surface is a cool 6,000° K.
The Sun is not a solid body and has irregular rotation. The rotations that
have been observed are from 25 days at the equator to 29 days near the
poles.
SUNSPOTS are dark areas appearing on the sun which are irregular in
shape. The dark center, the umbra is normally surounded by grayish strips
radiating from the center, these strips are called the penumbra. Sunspots
occur in cycles, the average being about 11 years. The Zeeman effect, named
after dutch physicist Pieter Zeeman, is the magnetic field produced by a
Sunspot. The temperatures of Sunspots are about 2000° k cooler than the
Suns surface.
SOLAR FLARES are explosive surges usually erupting from Sunspots. The
resulting shock waves expand at more than 1,000 miles per hour from the Sun.
The gases excaping with the shock wave form the solar wind. Along with the
wind are bursts of short radio wave and increased X-ray emissions.
SOLAR ECLIPSES occur about once every 18 months. A Solar Eclipse occurs
when the Earths Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth. Where the oval
shadow falls upon the earth is know as the track.