What causes the temperature to rise so dramatically in the corona of the Sun?

And, the corona, which extends for millions of miles beyond the relatively cool photosphere, is even hotter. While there are differing opinions on the causes of the corona’s extreme temperatures, most scientists now attribute it to the interaction of the Sun’s magnetic field lines.

Why are the temperatures of the chromosphere and corona so high?

Most solar physicists suspect the process is magnetic, since the strong magnetic fields at the Sun’s surface drive much of the solar weather (including sunspots, coronal loops, prominences, and mass ejections). Such acceleration could bring about the incredibly high temperatures observed in the Sun’s outer atmosphere.

What happens to the temperature in the chromosphere compared to the corona?

Temperatures rise sharply in the transition region, from thousands of degrees in the chromosphere to more than a million degrees in the corona. The density of plasma falls rapidly through the transition region moving upward from the chromosphere to the corona.

How does the temperature change in the Sun’s atmosphere differ from the temperature change in the Sun’s interior?

The Sun’s temperature, which reaches around 15 million degrees Celsius in its core, steadily decreases with distance from the core, falling to 6000°C at its ‘surface’. Instead, it rises to about 10,000°C in the chromosphere, and exceeds a million degrees Celsius in the corona.

What happens in the chromosphere?

NASA/Marshall Solar Physics. The chromosphere is an irregular layer above the photosphere where the temperature rises from 6000°C to about 20,000°C. At these higher temperatures hydrogen emits light that gives off a reddish color (H-alpha emission).

What is the purpose of the chromosphere?

The chromosphere may play a role in conducting heat from the interior of the sun to its outermost layer, the corona.

How does the temperature of the sun change from the center to the surface where is the density highest?

Although the Sun is completely made of gas, the density and temperature of the gas changes drastically as you travel from the center to the outermost regions. As you move away from the heat producing core the temperature drops to about 6000 degrees at the photosphere, the effective surface of the Sun.

Does the sun change temperature?

No. The Sun can influence Earth’s climate, but it isn’t responsible for the warming trend we’ve seen over recent decades. The Sun is a giver of life; it helps keep the planet warm enough for us to survive.