Name: Ahmad Adli Faris b Ahmad

Kamal
Class: 202
College No: 09052
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUN

Sun is a star
Nearest star to the Earth
The Centre of the Solar System
Biggest object in the Solar System
Has a large force of gravity because of its big
mass
The force of the gravity causes the planets and
asteroids in the Solar System to orbit around it.
Data Concerning the Sun
Age About 5000 million years old
Distance from the 145 497 870 km
Earth
Composition 90% hydrogen, 8% helium, 2% other gases
Size About 1400 000 km in diameter
About 100 x size of the Earth
Mass 300 000 x mass of the Earth
Density 0.27 x density of the Earth
Force of gravity 28 x gravity of the Earth
Surface temperature 6000 C
Core temperature 15 000 000 C
Rotation Rotates on its axis from West to East ; takes
about 25 days per rotation
STRUCTURES OF THE SUN

The Sun has an atmosphere which can divide into 3

layers :
(a) corona
(b) chromosphere
(c) photosphere

Corona
a) outermost layer of the Suns atmosphere.
b)A layer of gas boiled off from the Sun.
c) Extends for thousands of kilometers into outer
space.
d)The hottest layer of gas with temperature 1 500
000C
e) Faint whitish blue region and can only be seen
during an eclipse of the Sun.
f) Give out X rays.

Chromosphere
) A layer of gas below the corona.
 ) Chromosphere means a sphere of colour,
so called because
of its reddish-pink colour.
) This layer of gas is about 5 000 km thick.
) Its temperature can rise as high as 50
000C.
) Can only be seen during an eclipse
because it is not bright.

Photosphere
a) A layer of heavy gas which can be seen from
Earth as a bright lighted surface.
b)Photosphere means a sphere of light.
c) Has a temperature of about 6 000C.
d)Its surface appears very rough because the
gases from the core bubble through it.
e) Solar flares, prominences and sunspots erupt
from its surface.

The core
a) Made up of hydrogen and helium under high
pressure.
b) The hottest part of the Sun with a
temperature of about 15 000 000C.
 c) Thermonuclear reactions which are
continuosly going on in the core generate
the Suns heat and light.

PHENOMENA ON THE SUNS SURFACE

Phenomena occurring on the Suns surface are :

(a) Sunspots
(b) Flares
(c) Prominences

Sunspots
a) Dark areas on the surface of the Sun.
b) These areas are dark because they are
cooler than the other
parts.
c) Will disappear after several hours or several
weeks.
d) Caused by magnetic fields which slow down
the emission of heat from core of the Sun.
 e) Different sizes and some have diameters of
several thousand kilometres.
f) Usually occur in pairs.
g) Appear to move across the Suns surface
because the Sun in rotating from west to east.

Flares
a) Bursts of light from the Suns surface.
b)Give out a lot of energy although they last from
several minutes to several hours only.
c) Can reach a temperature of 5 000 000C.
d)Released charge particles into outer space and
some of these particles reach the Earth.

Prominences
a) Clouds of burning hydrogen and helium
exploding from the Suns surface.
b) Appear bright red and curved and may
reach a height of more than 100 000 km.
c) Have a temperature of 10 000C.
d) The hot gases cool down after some time
and are pulled back to the Sun by Suns gravity.
Some of the gases escape into outer space.
e) The gases which escape into outer cpace
form the solar wind.
f) Causes the tail of a comet to point away
from the Sun.
EFFECTS OF SUNSPOTS, FLARES AND PROMINENCES ON THE
EARTH

Radiate X-rays, ultraviolet rays, the solar wind

and charged electric particles into outer space.
Influence the weather and climate on the
Earth.
The electrically charged particles will collide with
the particle in the Earths atmosphere and
caused radio and television interference.
The electrically charged particles are deflected
by the Earths magnetic field towards the north
and the south poles. This produce green, yellow
and red coloured lights in the sky near the poles
at night. These coloured lights are called
aurorae.

GENERATION OF ENERGY BY THE SUN

Energy is generated by thermonuclear

reactions in the core of the Sun where the
temperature and the pressure are extremely
high.
 During these, light hydrogen atoms combine to
form heavier helium atoms with the release of
large quantities of heat and light energy.
The temperature reached is about 15 000
000C.
The energy generated in the reaction is brought
from the core to the surface of the Sun by
radiation and convection.
When all hydrogen is used up, the Sun will
become a small quiet object in outer space.
Stars
) A natural hot ball of gases in space which
gives out its own heat and light.
) Usually made up of almost entirely of
hydrogen and helium.
) Gets its heat and light from thermonuclear
reactions.
) Happens when the hydrogen atoms of a star
combine to form helium atoms.
) Stars are huge balls of hot gases. But they
look small to us because they are very far away.
) The distance of a star from the Earth is
measured in light years.
) 1 light year is the distance light travels in 1
year ( 300 000 km/s)
) 1 light year = 9 500 000 000 000 km.
) After the Sun, the nearest star is Alpha
Proxima. It is about 4.2 light years away and
can only be seen through telescope.
) Alpha Centauri is 4.3 light years away from the
Earth, but it can be seen with the naked eye.
) 2 very bright stars which can easily identified
are Sirius and Rigel.
CLASSIFICATION OF STARS

a) Stars can be classified according to their

characteristics such as :
Temperature and colour
Brightness
Chemical composition
Size
Density
b)Temperature and colour
The hottest star is blue while the
coolest is red.
Blue stars are young stars.
Red stars are old stars which are
cooling.
c) Brightness
The brightest star is the Sun, has a
magnitude of -26.5.
The dullest star is given a magnitude of
+26.0.
The brighter the star, the lower its
magnitude.

d)Chemical composition
The chemical composition of a star can
be determine by analising its light with a
spectroscope.
Most stars are composed of hydrogen
and helium.
 Some stars contain other elements such
as iron and carbon.

e) Size
Stars vary a great deal in size.
White dwarfs are smaller than the Earth.
Red giants are 100 times bigger than the
Sun.
Supergiants are 400 times bigger than the
Sun.

f) Density
The densities of stars vary a lot
because of their sizes.
A big star has a low density
( density = mass / volume )

FORMATION OF STARS

Scientist believe that a

star is formed from a nebula.
A nebula is a large cloud of dust and gas,
mainly hydrogen, in outer space.
The dust and gas in the
nebula condense and become compressed due
to the gravitational attraction of the particles.
The compressed dust and
gas become very hot and dense until a very
high temperature is reached. The very high
temperature causes thermonuclear reaction to
take place. In a nuclear reaction, hydrogen
atoms combine or fuse together to form helium
 atoms and it produce tremendous amount of
heat and light.
So, the ball of dense
compressed dust and gas gives out its own
heat and light. Thus, the star is formed and it
takes millions years to form.

DEATH OF STARS

When the hydrogen in a star is used up, the

nuclear reaction will stop.
The star will cool and eventually die.
When a star dies, it will leave behind :
a) A white dwarf
b) A neutron star
c) A black hole

The size of a dying star

determines the type of object it will leave
behind.

White dwarf
When a star of similar size as the Sun has
almost completely used up its hydrogen, the
 outermost layer of hydrogen burns fiercely
and causes the star to expand.
The star become red and called a red
giant.
The outer layer of red giant is unstable and
diffuses into space.
The inner gases collapse and form a hot
core known as a white dwarf.
It is about the size of the Earth.
Eventually the white dwarf cools and does
not gives out heat and light. It becomes a
black dwarf.

Neutron star
If a dying star is 10 times the size of the
Sun, it expands and
become a red giant. The red giant formed
is big.
The inner gases collapse so quickly that
the red giant explodes,
causing a supernova explosion.
The remaining core shrinks with such
force that the electron and
protons combine to form neutrons.
The core left is called neutron star.
A neutron star :
a) Has a mass of 1.5 to 2.5 times the mass of
the Sun.
b)Very dense (because of its neutrons).
c) Rotates very fast.
d)Releases pulsing electromagnetic waves
(because of this, it is also called a pulsar).
 Black hole
Formed from a very big red giant. It is called a
supergiant.
Has a size 500 times of the Sun.
The coral left is so dense and its gravitational
force is so great that it attracts even light.
Makes the region around it dark. The core is
called a black hole.
Cannot be seen but its effect can be felt.
Constellations
A group of stars which forms a particular
pattern that can be seen from the Earth.
Astronomers have recognized 88
constellation.
Some can be seen throughout the year,
while some can be seen only at certain
times of the year.
In ancient times, people used these to
guide them in journey and to tell the
seasons.
12 of the constellation from the zodiac.
This name means the path of the animals,
because many of the constellation are
named after animals.

Galaxies
A galaxy is an assembly of millions of
stars in outer space.
 Can be classified according to their
shapes :
a Spiral
b Elliptical
c Irregular
d Barred spiral
Spiral galaxy
a) Examples are Milky Way and the
Andromeda.
b) A spiral galaxy is very large.
c) Has a thick bright centre thins out
at the edge.
d) Centre has more stars which are
older than those at the edge.

Elliptical galaxy
) Common type of galaxy.
) Smaller than a spiral galaxy.
) Consists of very old stars.
) Cannot form new stars because it does
not contain anymore
dust and gas.

Irregular galaxy
a Does not have a fixed shape.
b Can form new stars because it
posseses dust and gases (nebula).
c Consists of young stars.

Barred spiral galaxy

) Uncommon type.
 ) Has a cross-like formation in the
centre.

Types of galaxy

The Milky Way

a) Contains about 10 000 million stars
together with dust and gases.
b)Very big. Takes 100 000 light years to
cross its diameter.
c) The Sun rotates from west to east at
the same time, orbits the centre of the
Milky Way.
 THE UNIVERSE

The expanse of the universe

universe is made up of galaxies and all objects in
outer space.
There are 10 000 million galaxies in the
Universe.
There are large surfaces between the stars and
galaxies.
Galaxies are moving apart from one
another, so the universe is expanding.
 Until now universe scientist have not
been able to estimate the size of the
universe.
The galaxy nearest to our own is the
Andromeda.
It is 2 000 000 light years from the
Earth.
It is a spiral galaxy bigger than the
Milky Way.
1st galaxy to be discovered.

Appreciating the universe

The Sun and Moon are important
creations of God.
Sun give us light and enable green
plants to produce food through
photosynthesis.
Moon forms a beautiful lighted object in
the sky at night.
 The Earth is undergoing changes every
day.