Lastly, there is the photosphere, the visible surface of the Sun. This site uses cookies. By 30% of the radius, fusion has stopped almost entirely. Scientists believe that this began when a huge cloud of gas and particles (i.e. This means that, in just one second, the Sun produces enough energy to power New York City for about 100 years. Once these cells rise to just below the photospheric surface, their material cools, causing their density increases. The simple answer is that the Sun, like all stars, is able to create energy because it is essentially a massive fusion reaction. The photosphere is tens to hundreds of kilometers thick, and is also the region of the sun where it becomes opaque to visible light. There is no thermal convection in this layer, but solar material in this layer is hot and dense enough that thermal radiation is all that is needed to transfer the intense heat generated in the core outward. In the end, it all comes down to the Sun’s layers, and the role each of them plays in making sure that solar energy gets to where it can help create and sustain life. There is a reason life that Earth is the only place in the Solar System where life is known to be able to live and thrive. This process—called nuclear fusion—releases energy while creating a chain reaction that allows it to occur over and over and over again. Then it travels onward to the photosphere, where it emits heat, charged particles, and light. There is no thermal convection in this layer, but solar material in this layer is hot and dense enough that thermal radiation is all that is needed to transfer the intense heat generated in the core outward. 22:07 What is a galactic halo? In this week's questions show, I talk about the Dark Forest theory in the Three-Body Problem series of books. So the amount of energy released by the Sun in 1 second is a number See no ads on this site, see our videos early, special bonus material, and much more. Is black hole evaporation negated by black holes absorbing additional material and energy? We are dependent on the Sun to give us enough light and heat essential to support life on Earth. The sun releases energy at a mass–energy conversion rate of 4.26 million metric tons per second, which produces the equivalent of 384.6 septillion watts (3.846×10 26 W). host Alex Trebek, 80, dies after cancer battle, Joe Biden begins planning for his presidency, College releases autopsy results for student with COVID-19, Biden gets Nationals' invite that Trump never got, Donald Trump will lose his protection against Twitter bans, Iran's president calls on Biden to return to nuclear deal, Hey Irish fans, storming the field was a bad idea. What are some animals that start with the letter U. As researchers develop more ways for us to capture sun-produced energy, we will be able to harness more of the sun’s power to benefit our world. Test your knowledge with:Solar Tricktionary. What steps are involved, and how does it get to us here on planet Earth?