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Solar Composition
EARTH

Aerographers Mate, Module 05-Basic Meteorology
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surface of the sun as observed from outside regions). (See fig. 1-2). Solar Prominences/Filaments Solar prominences/filaments are injections of gases from the chromosphere into the corona. They appear as great  clouds  of  gas,  sometimes  resting  on  the  Sun’s surface and at other times floating free with no visible connection.  When  viewed  against  the  solar  disk,  they appear  as  long  dark  ribbons  and  are  called  filaments. When  viewed  against  the  solar  limb  (the  dark  outer edge of the solar disk), they appear bright and are called prominences. (See fig. 1-2.) They display a variety of shapes, sizes, and activity that defy general description. They have a fibrous structure and appear to resist solar gravity.  They  may  extend  18,500  to  125,000  miles (30,000 to 200,000 km) above the chromosphere.  The more  active  types  have  temperatures  of  10,000°K  or more and appear hotter than the surrounding atmosphere. Sunspots Sunspots are regions of strong localized magnetic fields    and    indicate    relatively    cool    areas    in    the photosphere. They appear darker than their surroundings   and   may   appear   singly   or   in   more complicated groups dominated by larger spots near the center. (See fig. 1-2). 1-4 AGf0102 SOLAR PROMINENCES PLAGE FLARE SUNSPOTS (FILAMENTS) Figure 1-2.—Features of the solar disk.







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