The+Sun

**Overview**
The Sun provides the Earth with almost all of the energy it recieves. The Sun constantly maintains nuclear reactions within its core and throws energy millions of miles out into space. It is the largest single object in the solar system, taking up 99.8% of the mass. It is also important to note that the sun's activity isn't constant, and its output can greatly affect weather patterns on Earth, such as the "Little Ice Age" of Europe (see "Climate Impact"). scientists have attributed the solar variation and fluxuation of the sun cycle to be a major factor behind global warming.

Table of Contents
Nuclear Chemistry Climate Impact Solor Variation Summary ||
 * Sun Spots

=Sun Spots= Sunspots are specific areas of the Sun that have a very high level of magnetic activity.In a sun with no sunspot activity, its magnetic coils, or tubes, are contained within the Sun. As solar activity increases, the magnetic fields rise to the surface of the Sun. Oftentimes, the spots have poles and the magnetic field will "loop" across the surface. According to //The Sun From Space//, the sunspots appear in pairs, one below and one above the equator of the sun. This means that the Sum has many different poles. The sun isn't like Earth, with one dipole, it has a varying number of them. Also, the sunspots appear to be black because they have a lower temperature than the surrounding mass and are giving off less energy. Most sunspots have a lifetime of about 2 weeks before they disappear from the Sun's surface. Sunspots like these are at their highest activity at the peak of their 11 year cycles. The last peak was around 2000-2001, meaning it should peak again around 2011 or 2012. However, the activity doesn't seem to have picked up right now during 2009. This could mean the cycle is delayed, or it could be the start of another solar minimum. The last time this happened, the Sun had no sunspots for 11 years. Some scientists think this could have been the cause of the Little Ice Age. This image clearly shows how the sunspot number and solar activity(flares) are directly related to the energy output of the Sun. So, in otherwords, the sunspots don't really make the Sun throw more energy, they are really indicators of the increased activity within the Sun.

= = =Nuclear Chemistry= Nuclear Chemistry is a subfield of chemistry that deals with the composition of the nucleus, and the processes that change the composition of the nucleus.The sun runs on and gets its energy from an aspect of this called Nuclear Fusion. Nuclear Fusion is the process in which lighter nuclei combine to form heavier, more stable nuclei.

The reaction that takes place in the sun is the fusion of Hydrogen into Helium. When two Hyydrogen isotopes fuse together they release energy and shoot out a nuetron. This creates a huge amount of energy and provides the Sun with a neutron, which can cause more reactions. The Sun's magnetic field is created with the mixing and moving of plasma within the Sun. The plasma is essentially a big tub of positively charged ions and electrons. There is constant movement and this generates the field. The strength of the movement is basically what causes the solar cycles. Yet, none of the scientists know exactly why the Sun runs on the cycles or why the field differs.

= = = = =Climate Impact= Since the beginning of studying the climate, scientists have contemplated how the sun affects the earth in different ways. In 1801, an astronomer named William Herschel introduced to science the thought of "more transient climate connections". Since the sun's brightness varies, how does it affect the temperature of the Earth? One instance is the "little ice age" in Europe between 1550 and 1700. At the time of this event, there was very little solar activity. Also, it is recorded that during maximum solar activity during its 11 year cycle, wind speeds in the stratosphere can range from about 6 to 30 miles per hour, and because those winds are affected, weather patterns are affected around the globe. When the issue of global warming arises, it seems that the fluctuation of the sun's brightness has a minor role, due to greenhouse gases playing the dominant role, because even though the sun was at its minimum brightness during the 11 year cycle, global warming didn't stop. However, even though it isn't the cause of global warming, it can be ifferred that it is a factor in the speed of how fast the planet heats up. The Sun's energy patterns can possibly effect the oceans and currents. To see how this works, look here.

=Solar Variation= Solar variation is the amount of solar radiation emmited from the sun, and it's characterized by an 11 year solar cycle. Solar variation plays a major part in the climate of the Earth, affecting weather patterns depending at what how much radiation is being emmited from the sun. Solar variation is what caused the "Little Ice Age" in Europe. Also, solar irridance, the amount of light that reaches the Earth's surface, is determined by solar variation, as the sunlight's frequency and wavelength affect how clouds absorb different amounts of light, directly affecting Earth's temperature. According to the New York Times "a growing number of scientists contend that the Sun's fickleness might rival human pollution as a factor in climatic change. And some research, though sketchy and much debated, suggests that the Sun's variability could account for virtually all of the global warming measured to date." For more on Solar Variation, click here.

=Summary=

The sun is the source of all heat and energy on earth. The heat and energy produced on the sun through the fusion of hydrogen and helium is powerful enough to effect the climate conditions here on earth. In addition to the suns energy being trapped by the greenhouse effect and the atmosphere, sun spots and solor variation also may play a factor in climate change.