Atmosphere Contents

2. Solar Energy

The Sun is immensely hot

The Sun

The sun is powered by thermonuclear reactions and the energy output of these appears as radiation - the only form of energy which can be transmitted out into space. What we see if we observe the sun (not directly!) is the visible surface, known as the photosphere. The average temperature of the photosphere is approximately 6000°C - much lower than the centre of the sun (tens of millions °C). The photosphere determines the distribution of outgoing radiation emitted by the sun and the energy associated with it.

What is the average temperature of the photosphere?