Abstract
In this chapter, we shall look at the Sun, bearing in mind it is a star on the main sequence. Therefore, we shall not discuss in any depth topics such as sunspots, the sunspot cycle, etc. Instead, we will concentrate on the internal structure, means of energy production, and the manner in which energy is transported from its source to us on Earth. With this approach, it is possible to use the Sun as a benchmark with which to compare stars of differing size.
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Notes
- 1.
There are many excellent books available that are devoted totally to the Sun (see Appendices in this book for a list of suitable texts).
- 2.
2 Plasma is a collection of positively charged ions and free electrons.
- 3.
3 In stars that are more massive than the Sun, the fusion of helium occurs via a different series of reactions called the CNO cycle. We shall discuss this later.
- 4.
4 This means that averaged over the distance from the core to the surface, a “photon” travels about 0.5 m per hour, or about 20 times slower than a snail.
- 5.
There are of course filters and screens that one can buy to use with the telescope, but never, under any circumstances, use a telescope, to look at the Sun, if not using specialized equipment.
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Inglis, M. (2015). The Sun, Our Nearest Star. In: Astrophysics Is Easy!. The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11644-0_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11644-0_8
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