8B10.10 - The Sun

Credit: STEREO Project, NASA
Credit: STEREO Project, NASA
Code Number:
8B10.10
Demo Title:
The Sun
Condition:
Good
Principle:
Stellar Astronomy
Area of Study:
Astronomy
Equipment:
Telescopes and Thermometers.
Procedure:

Observations and measurements of the Sun and the Solar Constant may be made with the proper equipment.

References:
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  • Jhon Ale-Silva, Leonor Huerta-Cancino, "The Sun in Augmented Reality: An Interactive Resource for Physics Learning", TPT, Vol. 62, #3, March 2024, p. 223.
  • B. H. Suits, "The Color of the Sun – Perception and Spectral Density", TPT, Vol. 56, #9, Dec. 2018, p. 600.
  • NASA/SDO Image, "Visual Physics: Magnetic field lines on the Sun", TPT, Vol. 53, #6, Sept. 2015, p. 384.
  • David Sitar and Mariah Birchard, "Visual Physics", TPT, Vol. 52, #5, May 2014, p. 308.
  • Paul Hewitt, "Figuring Physics: Fission-Fusion Curve", TPT, Vol. 43, #5, May 2005, p. 264.
  • Michael J. Burin, "Some Daytime Activities in Solar Astronomy", TPT, Vol. 43, #1, Jan. 2016, p. 36.
  • Timothy F. Slater, "Stellar Inquiry", TPT, Vol. 42, #6, Sept. 2004, p. 347.
  • Uri Ganiel, "The Solar Constant", TPT, Vol. 42, #4, Apr. 2004, p. 196.
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  • Stefan Jeglinski, Skip Kilmer, Rondo Jeffery, John Denker, Tim Sullivan, Dan Maclsaac, Leigh Palmer, and Bernard Cleyet, photographed by Thierry Legault, "Interesting Photograph", TPT, Vol. 39, #6, Sept. 2001, p. 348.
  • Paul Hewitt, "Figuring Physics: Pinhole Image of the Sun", TPT, Vol. 38, #5, May 2000, p. 272.
  • Mark Moldwin, "How Big Is Our Sun?", TPT, Vol. 38, #2, Feb. 2000, p. 115.
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  • Paul Hewitt, "Figuring Physics", TPT, Vol. 35, #4, Apr. 1997, p. 230.
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  • George O. Abell and Vincent Buckwash, "How Can Stars be Formed by Gravity?", TPT, Vol. 17, #4, Apr. 1979, p. 278.
  • Gordon L. Parks, "Determination of the Diameter of the Sun", TPT, Vol. 13, #7, Oct. 1975, p. 417.
  • The Editors, "Erratum: Stars and Nuclei. Part II", TPT, Vol. 10, #6, Sept. 1972, p. 299.
  • Oakes Ames, "Stars and Nuclei. Part II", TPT, Vol. 10, #5, May 1972, p. 250.
  • Oakes Ames, "Stars and Nuclei. Part I", TPT, Vol. 10, #4, Apr. 1972, p. 182.
  • Salvador Gil, Mariano Mayochi, and Leonardo J. Pellizza, "Experimental Estimation of the Luminosity of the Sun", AJP, Vol. 74, #8, Aug. 2006, p. 728.
  • Peter Pesic, "Erratum: 'Estimating hc/k from Sunlight', AJP, Vol. 73, #5, May 2005, p. 457", AJP, Vol. 73, #10, Oct. 2005, p. 979.
  • Peter Pesic, "Estimating hc/k from Sunlight", AJP, Vol. 73, #5, May 2005, p. 457.
  • Mark A. Heald, "Where is the 'Wien Peak?'", AJP, Vol. 71, #12, Dec. 2003, p. 1322.
  • Geoff Nunes, "Comment on 'Eyesight and the Solar Wein Peak', James M. Overduin, AJP, Vol. 71, #3, Mar. 2003, p. 216", AJP, Vol. 71, #6, June 2003, p. 519.
  • James M. Overduin, "Eyesight and the Solar Wien Peak", AJP, Vol. 71, #3, Mar. 2003, p. 216.
  • James G. Ellingson, "The Deflection of Light by the Sun Due to Three-Space Curvature", AJP, Vol. 55, #6, Aug. 1987, p. 759.
  • Michael Nauenberg and Victor F. Weisskopf, "Why Does The Sun Shine?", AJP, Vol. 46, #1, Jan. 1978, p. 23.
  • Sol Wieder and Edmond Jaoudi, "Solar Energy - Its Measurement", AJP, Vol. 45, #10, Oct. 1977, p. 981.
  • Timo Reinhold, Alexander I. Shapiro, Sami K. Solanki, Benjamin T. Montet, Natalie A. Krivova, Robert H. Cameron, Eliana M. Amazo-Gomez, "The Sun Is Less Active Than Other Solar-Like Stars", Science, Vol. 368, # 6490, May 1, 2020, p. 518. 
  • Jennifer Sieben, "Slow Solar Wind Traced to Sun's Active Region", Physics Today, Vol. 77, #8, Aug. 2024, p. 18.
  • Travis S. Metcalfe, "The Sun's Magnetic Midlife Crisis", Physics Today, Vol. 71, #6, June 2018, p. 70.
  • Melinda Baldwin, "What Causes the Sun's Plasma Jets", Physics Today, Vol. 70, #9, Sept. 2017, p. 23.
  • Jack B. Zirker and Oddbjorn Engvold, "Why is the Sun's Corona so Hot? Why are Prominences so Cool?", Physics Today, Vol. 70, #8, Aug. 2017, p. 36.
  • Charles Day, "The Sun's Titled Axes", Physics Today, Vol. 68, #10, Oct. 2015, p. 18.
  • Johanna L. Miller, "A Stellar Source of Lithium is Caught in the Act", Physics Today, Vol. 68, #5, May 2015, p. 16.
  • Peter Foukal, "The Search for Magnetic Reconnection in Solar Flares", Physics Today, Vol. 67, #1, Jan. 2014, p. 8.
  • Ashley G. Smart, "Helioseismology Plumbs New Depths", Physics Today, Vol. 66, #11, Nov. 2013, p. 12.
  • Carolus J. Schrijver, Carey M. Lisse, and Cooper Downs, "Comets as Solar Probes", Physics Today, Vol. 66, #10, Oct. 2013, p. 27.
  • Johanna L. Miller, "Solar Magnetic Reconnection Seen in Detail", Physics Today, Vol. 66, #9, Sept. 2013, p. 12.
  • Bertram M. Schwarzschild, "The Sun's Oblateness Appears to be Constant", Physics Today, Vol. 65, #10, Oct. 2012, p. 14.
  • Charles C. Kankelborg, "Exploring the Interface Between the Sun's Surface and Corona", Physics Today, Vol. 65, #4, Apr. 2012, p. 72.
  • Gordon D. Holman, "Solar Eruptive Events", Physics Today, Vol. 65, #4, Apr. 2012, p. 56.
  • "A Watchful Eye on the Sun's Corona", Physics Today, Vol. 64, #2, Feb. 2011, p. 72.
  • Charles Day, "Magnetic Waves Pervade the Sun's Corona", Physics Today, Vol. 62, #5, May 2009, p. 18.
  • Charles Day, "Heating the Sun's Corona", Physics Today, Vol. 62, #2, Feb. 2009, p. 22.
  • Philip B. Duffy, Benjamin D. Santer, and Tom M. L. Wigley, "Solar Variability Does Not Explain Late-20th-Century Warming", Physics Today, Vol. 62, #1, Jan. 2009, p. 48.
  • Sarah Scoles, "The Calm Before the Storms", Science, Vol. 364, #6443, May 2019, p. 818.
  • J. Martínez-Sykora, B. De Pontieu, V. H. Hansteen, L. Rouppe van der Voort, M. Carlsson, and T. M. D. Pereira, "On the Generation of Solar Spicules and Alfvénic Waves", Science, Vol. 356, #6344, June 2017, p. 1269.
  • Robert Howard, "The Rotation of the Sun", Scientific American, Vol. 232, #4, Apr. 1975, p. 106.
  • Wallace A. Hilton and Roger C. Crawford, "Detection of Radio Waves From the Sun", The Science Teacher, Vol. 27, #8, Dec. 1960, p. 30.
  • Jessie Geoffray, "Calling Interference on the Sun", Popular Science, Vol. 286, #7, July 2014, p. 31.
  • Taylor Kubota, "Megapixels: A 1-Billion-Ton Plasma Explosion On The Sun's Surface", Popular Science, Vol. 285, #1, Jan. 2013, p. 6.
  • Damon Tabor, "Are We Prepared for a Catastrophic Solar Storm?", Popular Science, Vol. 283, #7, July 2011, p. 29.
  • Lana Birbrair, "Megapixels: Great Ball of Fire", Popular Science, Vol. 283, #1, Jan. 2011, p. 12.
  • "Research News: Editors Choice: New Model for Solar Outbursts", APS News, Vol. 26, #6, June 2017, p. 1.
  • "Light Slows Sun's Surface", APS News, Mar. 2017, Vol. 26, #3, p. 6.
  • "Sun's Solar Flares", Ad Astra, Vol. 27, #1, Spring 2015, p. 7. 
  • "Countdown...03...02...01..Lift Off", Ad Astra, Vol. 26, #4, Winter 2014, p. 3.
  • "First Moments of a Solar Flare in Different Wavelengths of Light", Ad Astra, Vol. 26, #2, Summer 2014, p. 5.
  • "Solar Eruption", Ad Astra, Vol. 25, #2, Summer 2013, p. 5.
  • Barbara Thompson, "Solar Changes: The Sun Finally Wakes Up", Ad Astra, Vol. 22, #3, Fall 2010, p. 20.
  • James A. Van Allen, "Mean Free Paths of Solar Electrons (Ee > 45 keV ) in the Interplanetary Medium", Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 103, #A12, p. 29,665 - 29,677.
  • "Here Comes the Sun", Extraordinary Book of Facts, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, p. 118.
  • Isaac Asimov, "The Nearest Star", Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, p. 193 - 203.
  • Isaac Asimov, "Massing the Sun", Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, p. 117 - 128.
  • Janice VanCleave's, "43. Sun Camera", Astronomy for Every Kid, p. 94 - 95.
  • D. Tattersfield, "7.1, Star Characteristics", Project & Demonstrations in Astronomy, p. 136 - 155.
  • D. Tattersfield, "5.25, Nuclear Reactions in The Sun", Project & Demonstrations in Astronomy, p. 110 - 111.
  • Guinness Book of World Records, "Largest Recorded Solar Flare", 2003, p. 71.

Disclaimer: These demonstrations are provided only for illustrative use by persons affiliated with The University of Iowa and only under the direction of a trained instructor or physicist.  The University of Iowa is not responsible for demonstrations performed by those using their own equipment or who choose to use this reference material for their own purpose.  The demonstrations included here are within the public domain and can be found in materials contained in libraries, bookstores, and through electronic sources.  Performing all or any portion of any of these demonstrations, with or without revisions not depicted here entails inherent risks.  These risks include, without limitation, bodily injury (and possibly death), including risks to health that may be temporary or permanent and that may exacerbate a pre-existing medical condition; and property loss or damage.  Anyone performing any part of these demonstrations, even with revisions, knowingly and voluntarily assumes all risks associated with them.