The chromosphere is the second outermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere, hotter than the photosphere, and visible only during a solar eclipse. It is located between the photosphere and the corona, and is approximately 1,250 miles deep. The chromosphere is reddish in color and contains magnetic fields projected outward by the photosphere. It produces gas movement, including spicules, fibrils, and filaments, which can lead to coronal mass ejections that affect the solar system and spacecraft.
The chromosphere is the second outermost layer of the solar atmosphere, visible only to the naked eye during a solar eclipse. The chromosphere is known to be hotter than the photosphere, the next layer towards the sun.
The chromosphere is located between the photosphere and the corona, which is the outermost part of the solar atmosphere. The chromosphere is approximately 1,250 miles (2,011 kilometers) deep. Its name, which means sphere of color, comes from the fact that it is a reddish colour. This is caused by a particular type of hydrogen.
Despite this color, it is usually impossible to see the chromosphere from Earth without special equipment. The one exception is during a total solar eclipse, when the moon is directly in line between the earth and the sun. At this point, the chromosphere appears as a series of red spots around a solid black circle.
Logic would suggest that the chromosphere would be colder than other parts of the solar atmosphere because it is farthest away. In reality, it is considerably hotter and seems to get hotter away from the sun. The next closest layer, the photosphere, is about 7,250 degrees Fahrenheit (4,010 degrees Celsius), while parts of the chromosphere are nearly 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit (19,982 degrees Celsius).
One theory for this apparent disparity is that it contains magnetic fields projected outward by the photosphere. Electric currents flow through these fields from the photosphere to the corona. This process can lose energy in the fields, which produces the higher temperature. It is thought that energy may be lost because the magnetic field lines get disturbed and have to wobble in an attempt to get back to their original shape.
When visible, the chromosphere appears to flow. This is because gases are emitted from it at varying wavelengths. During an eclipse in 1868, astronomers noticed a bright yellow line in the chromosphere. At first they thought it was sodium, but the wavelength showed it must be a previously unexplored element. They called it helium, from the Greek name for the sun, Helios. It wasn’t until 1895 that scientists were able to isolate helium on Earth.
There is a significant amount of gas movement within the chromosphere. The most common are spicules, vertical plumes of gas that rise from and back towards the sun. Their counterparts are fibrils, which travel horizontally and last about 20 minutes, twice as long as spicules.
The chromosphere can also produce filaments, which are made of plasma that is cooler than the surrounding gases and therefore easier to see. These can sometimes lead to coronal mass ejections, where plasma completely leaves the solar atmosphere. This can affect the solar system equivalent of a planet’s climate and can also have an effect on spacecraft and other satellites.
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