What type of waves does the sun emit

Based on meters squared, the solar constant is equivalent to 1. The energy reaching the earth's surface is less than this value, owing to such factors as atmospheric absorption, but the sun is nevertheless a major source of energy for the earth.

The sun is a star with a ,km radius. Its volume is so great it could fit 1. Although our sun is so much larger than the earth, it is only of average size among the other stars in our galaxy. Its surface and core temperatures are 6, degrees Kelvin and 15,, degrees Kelvin, respectively. How do you suppose our sun was born? It is said the sun was born some 5 billion years ago. At that time, a giant star in our galaxy ended its life in a cataclysmic supernova explosion. The shockwaves from such an explosion would compress the surrounding gases that, as they cooled, formed a cloud containing a mixture of dust and hydrogen atoms and molecules.

This cloud contracts over a long period of time under their own gravity, causing them to grow denser and heat up internally. Once their core reaches a sufficient temperature about 10,, degrees Kelvin , nuclear fusion begins, meaning that hydrogen atoms start fusing together to form helium. With the start of nuclear fusion, stars begin emitting massive amounts of energy, making them shine. Looking at the Sun in this portion of the electromagnetic spectrum highlights its delicate — and extremely hot — outer atmosphere, the corona.

Q: In what part of the electromagnetic spectrum does the Sun emit energy? Jason Perry. Understanding just how big solar flares can get. Solar eclipse Prepare for a "ring of fire" on June Ask Astro : What will happen to Earth when the Sun dies? The Beginning to the End of the Universe : Our solar system's origin.

What will happen to the planets when the Sun becomes a red giant? Cosmos: Origin and Fate of the Universe. Astronomy's Moon Globe. Galaxies by David Eicher. It of course includes visible light, which is in between IR and UV in the electromagnetic spectrum. All electromagnetic waves EM travel at a speed of approximately 3. Although space is not a perfect vacuum, as it is really composed of low-density particles, EM waves, neutrinos, and magnetic fields, it can certainly be approximated as such.

Now, since the average distance between the Earth and the Sun over one Earth orbit is one AU about ,,, m , then it will take about 8 minutes for radiation from the Sun to get to Earth. Fusion in the core actually gives off high energy gamma rays. This results in a change in the chemical structure of the molecule. This change is especially detrimental to living organisms, as it can cause cell damage and deformities by actually mutating its genetic code. This is simply a convenient way of classifying the rays based on the amount of energy they contain and their effects on biological matter.

Luckily,UV-C rays do not reach the earth's surface because of the ozone layer. When UV-C rays meet the ozone molecules at high layers of the atmosphere, the energy inherent in them is enough to break apart the bond of the molecule and absorb the energy.

Therefore, no UV-C rays from the sun ever come into contact with life on earth, though man-produced UV-C rays can be a hazard in certain professions, such as welders.

As their energy is often not sufficient to split an ozone molecule, some of them extend down to the earth's surface. UV-A rays do not have enough energy to break apart the bonds of the ozone, so UV-A radiation passes the earth's atmosphere almost unfiltered. This can be done through a variety of ways. The most obvious is to reduce the amount of time one spends in the sun, particularly between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm, when the sun is at its highest in the sky.

However, especially during the summer holidays, this does not always work out. More ways to protect ourselves can be found here. UV levels are not constant over the course of a day, or even over the course of a year. An obvious factor is the position of the sun in the sky.

At noon, for example, the electromagnetic waves emitted from the sun travel a much shorter path through the earth's atmosphere then they would at, say, 5 pm, and thus noon-time intensity is stronger. A second important parameter determining UV at the ground is the amount of ozone present in the stratosphere.