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Our Sun in Solar System
Our Sun in Solar System
Solar Energy:
Is created deep within the core of the Sun. It is here that the temperature (15,000,000 C; 27,000,000 F) and pressure (340 billion times Earth's air pressure at sea level) is so intense that nuclear reactions take place. This reactioncauses four protons or hydrogen nuclei
to fuse together to form one alpha particle or helium nucleus. The alpha particle is about .7 percent less massive than the four protons. The difference in mass is expelled as energy and is carried to the surface of the Sun, through a process known as convection,where it is released as light and heat.Energy generated in the Sun's core takes a million years to reach its surface. Every second 700 million tons of hydrogen are converted into helium Ashes in the process 5million tons of pure energy is released; therefore, as time goes on the Sun is becoming lighter.
chromospheres. The outer region of the corona stretches far into space and consists of particles traveling slowly away from the Sun. The corona can only be seen during total solar eclipses. The Sun appears to have been active for 4.6 billion years and has enough fuel to go on for another Five billion years or so. At the end of it slife, the Sun will start to Fuse helium in to heavier elements and begin to swell up ultimately growing so large that it will swallow the Earth.
Sun Statistics:
Mass (kg) Mass (Earth = 1) Equatorial radius (km) Equatorial radius (Earth = 1) Mean density (gm/cm^3) Rotational period (days) Escape velocity (km/sec) Luminosity (ergs/sec) Magnitude (VO) Mean surface temperature Age (billion years) 1.989e+30 332,830 695,000 108.97 1.410 25-36* 618.02 3.827e33 -26.8 6,000C 4.5
Principal Chemistry:
Hydrogen Helium Oxygen Carbon Nitrogen Neon Iron Silicon Magnesium Sulfur All others 92.1% 7.8% 0.061% 0.030% 0.0084% 0.0076% 0.0037% 0.0031% 0.0024% 0.0015% 0.0015%
Solar Energy:
Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation along with secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass account for most of the available renewable energy on Earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used. Solar power provides electrical generation by means of heat engines or photovoltaics .
Six dish Stirling Systems developed by Schlaich Bergermann und Partner of Stuttgart,Germany, in operation at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria in Spain. The three dishes in theforeground are second-generation systems. The systems produce 10 kW of power from aSolo Kleinmotoren engine. Solar technologies are broadly characterized as passive solar and active solar techniques. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to convert sunlight into useful outputs. Passive solar techniquesinclude orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermalmass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
The Earth receives 174 petawatts (PW) of incoming solar radiation (insolation) at the upper atmosphere. Approximately 30% is reflected back to space while the restis absorbed by clouds, oceans and land masses. The spectrum of solar light at the Earth's surface is mostly spread across the visible and near-infrared ranges with a small part in the near-ultraviolet.
Solar Lighting:
Day lighting systems collect and distribute sunlight to provide interior illumination. Although difficult to quantify, the use of natural lighting also offers physiological and psychological benefits compared to artificial lighting. Day lighting design implies careful selection of window types, sizes and orientation; exterior shading devices may be considered as well. Individual features include sawtooth roofs,clerestory windows, light shelves, skylights and light tubes. When day lighting feature properly implemented they can reduce lighting-related energy requirements by 25%
Solar Thermal:
Solar thermal technologies can be used for water heating, space heating, space cooling and process heat generation.