The Sun: Crash Course Astronomy #10

2015-03-19

[public] 1.98M views, 30.9K likes, 635 dislikes audio only

Phil takes us for a closer (eye safe!) look at the two-octillion ton star that rules our solar system. We look at the sun's core, plasma, magnetic fields, sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and what all of that means for our planet.

This episode is sponsored by Squarespace: http://www.squarespace.com/crashcourse

Check out the Crash Course Astronomy solar system poster here: http://store.dftba.com/products/crashcourse-astronomy-poster

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Chapters:

Introduction: Our Sun 00:00

The Sun's Core 1:28

Convection 3:12

Photosphere 3:49

The Corona & Solar Wind 4:19

How long does it take for light to reach the Sun's surface? 5:04

Plasma & The Sun's Magnetic Fields 6:01

Sunspots & Faculae 7:09

Solar Flares & Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) 8:20

The Earth & Solar Eruptions 9:18

Review 10:59

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PHOTO/VIDEO CREDITS

Hubble extrasolar planet search field in Sagittarius: http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic0612d/ [credit: NASA, ESA, K. Sahu (STScI) and the SWEEPS science team]

The Sun: http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/499558main_hmi4096.jpg [credit: SDO/HMI]

The Sun: http://d1jqu7g1y74ds1.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/SDO_4096_0171.jpg [credit: NASA/SDO/AIA]

Earth: http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/earth-from-space-15-amazing-things-in-15-years/#.VMvNXmTF_Z0 [credit: NASA's Earth Observatory]

Fusion in the Sun: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FusionintheSun.svg [credit: Borb]

Empire State Building: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building#mediaviewer/File:Empire_State_Building_from_the_Top_of_the_Rock.jpg

Sun Structure: https://www.flickr.com/photos/11304375@N07/2819311727/

Photospheric granulation: http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/images/granules.jpg

Corona: http://philhart.smugmug.com/Sun/Queensland-Solar-Eclipse/i-qjqMzzK [credit: Phil Hart]

"Magnet0873" by Newton Henry Black - Newton Henry Black, Harvey N. Davis (1913) Practical Physics, The MacMillan Co., USA, p. 242, fig. 200. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Magnet0873.png#mediaviewer/File:Magnet0873.png

Strange Days On The Sun: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=11682 [credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Images courtesy of NASA/SDO]

Under the Sunspots: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=20070 [credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab]

Raining Loops: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011100/a011168/Raining_Loops_Still_2.jpg [credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO]

Coronal Mass Ejection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_xYcMQe5KA [credit: NASA]

Aurora: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-BicSV9RAw

Soloar Close-ups: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=4061 [credit: NASA]