The Sun

The surface of this burning ball of gas is 5500 ºC, with the core reaching 15.6 million ºC. The Sun is 1 million km in width. The best time to appreciate the majesty of the Sun from the Earth is during a solar eclipse. Then the Moon passes in front of the Sun and so it temporarily disappears from the sky.

Life on Earth is totally dependent on the energy it receives from the Sun. The Sun consumes four million tons of hydrogen every second so that our star has enough fuel to keep it shining for another five billion years. The Sun’s energy output is estimated to be 386 billion. So in 15 minutes our Sun radiates as much energy as mankind consumes in all forms during an entire year.

Just like all the planets, the Sun spins around a central axis. But this rotation is not smooth like the Earth because the Sun is not solid. So the gas at the Sun's poles revolves at a different speed to the gas at the equator. This causes the Sun's magnetic field to warp. Magnetic eruptions manifest themselves as dark 'sunspots' on the surface. Eventually the field becomes so complex that it collapses, causing the north and south poles to swap. Then the process begins again. This is known as the “solar cycle”. A complete cycle takes 22 years, after which the original north pole is restored. Maximum sunspot activity occurs during the period when the poles are in the process of switching. The last time this happened was in 2001.

Задание2. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. When is the best time to appreciate from the Earth the majesty of the Sun?

2. The Sun consumes four million tons of hydrogen every second, doesn’t it?

3. What radiates every 15 minutes as much energy as mankind consumes in all forms during an entire year?

4. Does the Sun spin around its central axis?

5. Does the complete “solar cycle” take 22 or 25 years?

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