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The Chromosphere |
Above the photosphere is the chromosphere, a region about 2500 kilometers thick. Just prior to and just after the peak of a total solar eclipse , the chromosphere appears as a thin reddish ring. The conspicuous color of the chromosphere (compared to the mostly white corona) led to its name (meaning ``color sphere.'') The chromosphere is most easily viewed in emission lines such as Hydrogen alpha, where bright regions known as plages and dark features called filaments are visible. Filaments are the name given to prominences when they are seen on the solar disk. Spicules are visible in the chromosphere on the limb of the sun. They are jets of plasma shooting up from supergranule boundaries. |
An image of the Sun's chromosphere
in the Calcium K line (from the National Solar Observatory
at Sacramento Peak, 80K GIF)
A movie showing spicules on
the limb of the Sun (from Big Bear Observatory, 544K MPEG). Best viewed
in loop mode.
Above the photosphere is the chromosphere, a region about 2500 kilometers thick. Just prior to and just after the peak of a total solar eclipse , the chromosphere appears as a thin reddish ring. The conspicuous color of the chromosphere (compared to the mostly white corona) led to its name (meaning ``color sphere.'') The chromosphere is most easily viewed in emission lines such as Hydrogen alpha, where bright regions known as plages, and dark features called filaments are visible. Filaments are the name given to prominences when they are seen on the solar disk. Spicules are visible in the chromosphere on the limb of the sun. They are jets of plasma shooting up from supergranule boundaries. |
An image of the Sun's chromosphere
in the Calcium K line (from the National Solar Observatory
at Sacramento Peak, 80K GIF)
A movie showing spicules on
the limb of the Sun (from Big Bear Observatory, 544K MPEG). Best viewed
in loop mode.
Above the photosphere is the chromosphere, a region about 2500 kilometers thick. Just prior to and just after the peak of a total solar eclipse , the chromosphere appears as a thin reddish ring. The conspicuous color of the chromosphere (compared to the mostly white corona) led to its name (meaning ``color sphere.'') The chromosphere is most easily viewed in emission lines such as Hydrogen alpha, where bright regions known as plages, and dark features called filaments are visible. Filaments are the name given to prominences when they are seen on the solar disk. Spicules are visible in the chromosphere on the limb (the edges) of the sun. They are jets of plasma shooting up from supergranule boundaries. While small compared to the sun, these plasma jets are actually the size of earth! |
An image of the Sun's chromosphere
in the Calcium K line (from the National Solar Observatory
at Sacramento Peak, 80K GIF)
A movie showing spicules on
the limb of the Sun (from Big Bear Observatory, 544K MPEG). Best viewed
in loop mode.
