Today we will try to find the answer to a very interesting question: how does the sun affect the earth? The most common way to study an object is through observation. It is for this reason that we will introduce a small rule at the beginning: never look at the Sun with unarmed eyes. Especially when it comes to the telescope. To monitor such objects, it is necessary to purchase special filters that can attenuate the light.
If you neglect this rule, you can get a severe burn of the eye, even if you have an unprofessional amateur telescope. The most common method of observing the sun is to project on a white screen. So you can get an enlarged image of the solar disk. This is how interesting it is to study geography.
How does the sun affect the earth? The sun is presented in the form of a large gas sphere, which cannot have clear boundaries. Then why, when observing, we clearly see the surface of the sun? The thing is that visible radiation comes from a thin layer - the photosphere (its thickness does not exceed three hundred kilometers). It is this layer that creates this illusion.
What is the sun?
Before proceeding directly to the question of how the Sun affects the Earth, we suggest getting to know the luminary itself more closely.
The sun is the source of life on our planet. If we take the entire mass of the solar system, then this star takes about ninety-nine percent. The gravitational force of the Sun is much stronger than that of other objects. Already in antiquity, people were able to understand what role the sun plays in our lives, they worshiped and deified it. Confirmation of this - the first texts and cave paintings.
Now briefly analyze the composition:
- hydrogen (about seventy-five percent);
- helium (about twenty-four percent);
- oxygen;
- carbon;
- neon;
- iron.
Like the Earth, the Sun consists of several layers:
- the core (this part has the highest density, occupies up to twenty-five percent of the entire star in volume);
- radiation area;
- convection zone;
- photosphere;
- atmosphere.
It is in the core of the Sun that we can observe the formation of solar energy, which is created by nuclear fusion, that is, the transformation of hydrogen into helium. Ninety-nine percent of solar energy is concentrated in the core.
Here I want to tell you one interesting fact: the sun will one day swallow our planet. The thing is that the star is very many years old and it has consumed almost half of its hydrogen supply. The process will continue as long as five billion years. After this, the Sun will go over to helium, which will be reflected in an increase in volume. Then the first three planets, including the Earth, will be absorbed. The sun will move to the stage of the red giant.
But after this, another stage follows - the white dwarf. The sun will shrink to the size of the Earth.
Galaxy
In order to understand how the Sun affects the Earth, it is necessary to analyze the question: what place does it occupy in our galaxy? What will we do now.
Scientists have long believed that the center of the entire universe is planet Earth. It is not difficult to explain this, because the planet is in the solar system, beyond which it was not possible to look. Only many years of research and observation have made it clear that all the objects of our stellar system revolve around one main star - the Sun.
It is important to note the fact that the solar system performs rotational movements, only relative to the galactic center. I had to observe the behavior of celestial objects for a very long time to guess that there are many other galaxies.
The galaxy in which the Earth is located is called the Milky Way. In addition to our planet, it includes:
- Solar system;
- the stars that we observe with the naked eye in the night sky.
The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy with jumpers. In addition, there is such a concept in geography - Local Supercluster. Another name for the term is Virgo Supercluster. The composition includes:
- Milky Way;
- Galaxy M31 (Andromeda);
- Galaxy M33 (Triangle);
- more than forty dwarf galaxies;
- satellites.
Twenty-five thousand light-years separates us from the center and the edge of the Galaxy. Imagine a music record (it's the Milky Way). Planet Earth is centered - between the center of the plate and its edge. Specifically, the planet is located in the arm of Orion, which has a diameter of three and a half thousand light years and a length of ten thousand light years.
Live nature
Now we will talk about how the Sun affects the Earth, and more specifically on wildlife. All living things on our planet need sunlight. This is especially true for plants, since the process of photosynthesis is impossible without it. And, therefore, there would be no oxygen (the final product of the process), that is, life on our planet would be impossible.
In addition, living organisms, by absorbing plants, receive the necessary energy that has accumulated in them. It is important to note that plants assign less than half a percent of the energy that is transmitted to them. However, this is enough.
The relationship of the Sun and living organisms can be traced on the example of animals that hibernate in the winter. Another example is falling asleep in the autumn when less solar energy comes in and waking up in the spring.
Inanimate nature
Now we will consider the relatively inanimate nature of the question: how does the Sun affect the Earth. The answer is quite simple - thanks to sunlight, we can observe many phenomena:
- fog;
- rain;
- snow;
- hail;
- tornado;
- Hurricane;
- ocean current;
- cloud formation;
- wind and so on.
And all this despite the fact that only about forty-five percent of the energy sent by the Sun is delayed on the planet. The rest goes into outer space.
sunny wind
In short, how the Sun affects the Earth yet, it is worth mentioning the presence of the solar wind. This is not the breeze to which we are always accustomed, but a stream of particles that are emitted from the star. We can observe this phenomenon in the form of the northern lights. These flows deform the magnetic field of the earth, which leads to magnetic storms. The latter are able to influence a person:
- there is an increase in blood viscosity;
- destabilization of the nervous system ;
- destabilization of the circulatory system.
Ultraviolet radiation
In the 5th grade, they should explain to the children how the Sun affects the Earth. To refresh the memory, we will briefly talk about ultraviolet radiation.
These rays are very dangerous for humans and animals, but a small amount of ultraviolet light is needed. It helps in the work of the blood organs (increase in red blood cells and platelets), increases alkaline reserve. In addition, ultraviolet has a beneficial effect through another factor - self-cleaning of the atmosphere. However, pay attention to the fact that a large amount of ultraviolet radiation is harmful to health (causes skin cancer).