1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,200 Imagine you're on this spacecraft 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,240 and it's like whooshing towards the sun. 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:07,080 Oh wow. 4 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,200 At an unbelievable speed, like it's going so fast, you know? 5 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:11,040 Yeah. 6 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:12,200 And you're on this mission to figure out 7 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,920 all the secrets of our nearest star. 8 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:16,880 Yeah. 9 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,080 Big ball of plasma that's been like the giver of life 10 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:21,960 and energy for billions of years. 11 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:22,800 Amazing. 12 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,720 Welcome to Cosmos in a Pod, the space and astronomy series. 13 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:26,560 Yeah. 14 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,320 Please like, comment, share, and subscribe. 15 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:30,280 Yes. 16 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,360 So we've all seen the sun a lot, right? 17 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:33,800 I mean, it's like there every day. 18 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:34,640 Every day. 19 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:36,600 But how much do we really know about this, 20 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,840 like this big powerhouse in the sky? 21 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:40,680 Yeah, it's an interesting question. 22 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,200 Today we're going deep into the heart of the sun. 23 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:44,040 Ooh. 24 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,800 Exploring its structure, all the mysteries it holds, 25 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,120 and the incredible missions that are helping us 26 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:51,520 unravel its secrets. 27 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,040 It's gonna be a fascinating journey. 28 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:53,880 I think so. 29 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:54,920 One that's full of surprises. 30 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:55,760 Okay. 31 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,040 You see, the sun, it's not just this like static 32 00:00:58,040 --> 00:00:59,520 ball of fire just hanging there. 33 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:00,360 Right. 34 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:02,280 It's dynamic, it's always changing. 35 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:03,120 Right. 36 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,120 With layers upon layers of activity and complexity. 37 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:07,840 Okay, so let's break this down a little bit. 38 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,000 When we look at the sun, what are we really seeing? 39 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,360 Well, what you see is the photosphere. 40 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:14,200 Okay. 41 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:15,320 The sun's visible surface. 42 00:01:15,320 --> 00:01:16,160 Right. 43 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,120 But it's not a solid surface like we have here on Earth. 44 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:19,960 Oh, okay. 45 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:22,120 It's a layer of crazy hot plasma 46 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,480 about 6,000 degrees Celsius. 47 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:25,320 Wow. 48 00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:27,280 And that's where most of the sun's light comes from. 49 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,120 Okay, so it's kind of like the tip of the iceberg. 50 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:29,960 Exactly. 51 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:31,120 That's a whole lot more going on underneath. 52 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:32,600 Oh yeah, absolutely. 53 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:35,360 Beneath the photosphere, there's this vast 54 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,640 and really intricate interior. 55 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:38,520 Oh yeah. 56 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,520 Starting with the convective zone. 57 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:41,800 Okay. 58 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,280 This is where hot plasma rises, cools, 59 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,320 and then sinks back down. 60 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:49,080 It creates this churning motion 61 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,360 that carries energy up towards the surface. 62 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:54,080 This is like a giant boiling pot constantly stirring. 63 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:55,960 Yeah, that's a great way to think about it. 64 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:57,040 I like that. 65 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,240 And as we go deeper, we get to the radiative zone. 66 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,120 This is super dense and energy can take 67 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:04,920 like hundreds of thousands, 68 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,160 even millions of years to travel out. 69 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,440 Wow, that's a serious traffic jam of energy. 70 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:11,280 Yeah. 71 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,120 Okay, so we went from the photosphere 72 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:14,600 through the convective zone 73 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,520 and now we're in the radiative zone. 74 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:17,600 What's next? 75 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,240 What's at the very heart of the sun? 76 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,400 At the very center of it all is the core. 77 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:22,240 Okay. 78 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,120 The sun's nuclear furnace. 79 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,160 Here, the pressure is immense, 80 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,240 temperatures over 15 million degrees Celsius. 81 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:31,080 It's hot. 82 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,000 And this is where hydrogen atoms fuse into helium, 83 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,520 releasing all that energy that powers the sun. 84 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,320 It's mind-blowing to think that that process, 85 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,960 that fusion has been going on for billions of years. 86 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:45,800 I know. 87 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:47,520 And it'll keep going for billions more. 88 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:51,320 It's incredible, the power and the longevity of our star. 89 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:52,160 Yeah. 90 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:53,280 But you know what's really fascinating? 91 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,960 All that energy made deep within the core. 92 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:56,800 Yeah. 93 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:58,880 It has to travel through all those layers we talked about 94 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:00,320 before it gets to us here on Earth. 95 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,480 So it's a journey of epic proportions. 96 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:03,320 It is. 97 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,520 In terms of both distance and time. 98 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,080 And as we've learned more about the sun's interior, 99 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,720 we've run into some really puzzling questions. 100 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:11,560 Oh. 101 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,880 Yeah, and one of the biggest is the coronal heating problem. 102 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:14,840 Oh yeah, I've heard of this. 103 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:15,680 Yeah. 104 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,320 It's the mystery of why the sun's outer atmosphere, 105 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,840 the corona, is millions of degrees hotter than the surface. 106 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:23,680 Right. 107 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:24,800 It seems kind of counterintuitive, doesn't it? 108 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:25,640 It really does. 109 00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:27,960 You'd think the further you get from the heat source, 110 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:29,320 the cooler it would get. 111 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:30,160 Right. 112 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:31,960 But the sun, it's the opposite. 113 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:32,800 Yeah. 114 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,000 The corona, that wispy outer layer, 115 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,160 can reach temperatures of over a million degrees Celsius. 116 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:39,000 Wow. 117 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,040 While the photosphere where all that energy starts 118 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,120 is only around 6,000 degrees. 119 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:44,760 So how do scientists explain that? 120 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:46,320 Well, there are a few theories. 121 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:47,120 OK. 122 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,360 Some think that powerful magnetic waves made 123 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,680 in the sun's interior are funneling energy 124 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:53,320 up into the corona. 125 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:54,800 So like a cosmic elevator. 126 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:55,480 Exactly. 127 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,360 Lifting energy from the surface to that outer atmosphere. 128 00:03:58,360 --> 00:03:59,120 I like that. 129 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,600 Others believe that tiny bursts of energy, 130 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,600 called nanoflares, are constantly 131 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:04,880 erupting on the surface. 132 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:05,360 OK. 133 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:07,920 And they're collectively heating the corona. 134 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:09,800 It's like a billion tiny explosions 135 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:10,880 going off all the time. 136 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:11,680 It is. 137 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,840 And then there's the solar wind, a constant stream 138 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,240 of charged particles shooting out from the sun, 139 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,760 which might also be contributing to the heating. 140 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:21,440 So there are a lot of possibilities. 141 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:21,920 Yeah. 142 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:23,600 But we're still working on the whole picture. 143 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:24,120 We are. 144 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,200 It's a complex problem, one that needs 145 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,440 a really deep understanding of the sun's magnetic fields, 146 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,640 plasma dynamics, and how energy moves around. 147 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,720 Yeah, it's amazing to think that this object, 148 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,040 we see it in the sky all the time, 149 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:38,920 still holds so many mysteries. 150 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:39,400 I know. 151 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,000 That's the beauty of science. 152 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,120 The more we learn, the more we realize how much more there 153 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:44,960 is to discover. 154 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:45,600 Right. 155 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,880 And the sun, our closest star, is a constant source 156 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,240 of wonder and intrigue. 157 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:51,520 Absolutely. 158 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaking of discoveries, haven't we 159 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,520 sent probes to actually study the sun up close? 160 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:56,600 We have. 161 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,040 One of the most amazing missions is the Parker Solar Probe, 162 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:01,960 a spacecraft that's getting closer to the sun 163 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:03,200 than any other before it. 164 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:04,120 Wow. 165 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:05,320 How close are we talking here? 166 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,720 The Parker Solar Probe is flying through the sun's corona 167 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,880 within a few million kilometers of the surface. 168 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,200 That's insanely close to a star that's over 100 times 169 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:16,160 the diameter of Earth. 170 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:16,960 It is. 171 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,080 And it's moving at an incredible speed, 172 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,240 over 600,000 kilometers per hour. 173 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,960 It's the fastest human-made object ever. 174 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:25,480 Why does it have to go so fast? 175 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,640 That speed is vital for the probe to survive. 176 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:29,160 Oh. 177 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,760 It lets it dip in and out of the corona really quickly. 178 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:32,260 Got it. 179 00:05:32,260 --> 00:05:35,480 Minimizing its exposure to the intense heat and radiation. 180 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:39,880 So like a daredevil skimming the surface of a raging inferno. 181 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:41,160 That's a great way to put it. 182 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:42,040 I try. 183 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:43,960 And even with those insane conditions, 184 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,280 the Parker Solar Probe is sending back some incredible data. 185 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:47,780 Oh, wow. 186 00:05:47,780 --> 00:05:50,720 Giving us views of the sun's corona and solar wind 187 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:52,200 we've never seen before. 188 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,840 What kind of insights is it giving us? 189 00:05:54,840 --> 00:05:57,960 Well, it's seen these strange zigzag patterns 190 00:05:57,960 --> 00:05:59,920 in the sun's magnetic field. 191 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:00,240 OK. 192 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:01,440 They're called switchbacks. 193 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:02,120 Switchbacks. 194 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:02,520 Yeah. 195 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,680 And they might help explain how the solar wind is 196 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:06,600 generated and speeds up. 197 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,360 So it's basically rewriting how we understand the sun. 198 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:09,960 It is. 199 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:13,400 And it's just one example of the incredible missions 200 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,080 that are helping us unlock the secrets of our nearest star. 201 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:17,640 Yeah. 202 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:19,680 It's really amazing what we're learning. 203 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,480 So we've been talking a lot about the Parker Solar Probe. 204 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:22,980 Yeah. 205 00:06:22,980 --> 00:06:24,320 And like it's amazing, right? 206 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,200 All the engineering that lets it get so close to the sun. 207 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:28,160 It's incredible. 208 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,040 But it's not the only tool we have for studying our star. 209 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:32,400 No, not at all. 210 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:37,240 So what other ways do scientists use to unlock the sun's secrets? 211 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:38,160 You're right. 212 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:39,800 The Parker Solar Probe is amazing, 213 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:41,800 but it's just one piece of the puzzle. 214 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,240 We've got a ton of instruments, both on the ground 215 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:45,160 and up in space. 216 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:45,660 OK. 217 00:06:45,660 --> 00:06:49,200 It's giving us this multifaceted view of the sun. 218 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,440 So it's like having a team of detectives, 219 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:52,800 each with their own specialty. 220 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:53,720 Yeah, exactly. 221 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:55,480 Working together to solve the case. 222 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,440 Some of our most powerful tools are actually 223 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,800 ground-based solar telescopes. 224 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:00,400 OK. 225 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:04,160 These telescopes have really fancy filters and instruments 226 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,640 that let us observe the sun in all these different wavelengths 227 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:08,400 of light. 228 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:12,400 It reveals details we could never see with just our eyes. 229 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,400 So what kind of details are we talking about? 230 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:18,480 Well, we can see sunspots, those dark cooler patches 231 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:20,520 on the surface we talked about earlier. 232 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:25,080 We can also see prominences, these huge loops of plasma 233 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,760 that stretch out from the sun, sometimes 234 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,480 for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. 235 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:31,520 I've seen pictures of those. 236 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:32,360 They're incredible. 237 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:33,040 Oh, yeah. 238 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,800 They look like fiery arches just hanging in space. 239 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:37,040 They are quite a sight. 240 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:37,720 Yeah. 241 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,360 And then there are solar flares, those sudden bursts of energy 242 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,640 that release radiation across the entire electromagnetic 243 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:46,280 spectrum. 244 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:50,560 So ground-based telescopes, they give us that close-up look 245 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:51,400 at the surface. 246 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:52,040 They do. 247 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:53,640 And all the crazy events happening there. 248 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,160 But to really understand the sun, 249 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:57,480 we have to go beyond Earth's atmosphere. 250 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:57,980 OK. 251 00:07:57,980 --> 00:08:00,400 And that's where space-based observatories come in. 252 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:01,880 Like the Parker Solar Probe. 253 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:03,080 Like the Parker, yeah. 254 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:04,480 But others, too. 255 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,880 One of the most important is the Solar Dynamics Observatory, 256 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:10,160 or SDO. 257 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,440 It's been orbiting the sun since 2010. 258 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:12,940 OK. 259 00:08:12,940 --> 00:08:14,640 And what makes SDO so special? 260 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,640 It's like a solar watchdog, constantly watching 261 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,880 the sun in tons of wavelength. 262 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:20,680 Wow. 263 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:22,960 It takes pictures every few seconds. 264 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:23,460 Seriously. 265 00:08:23,460 --> 00:08:25,400 Giving us this constant stream of data 266 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:26,560 about what's happening. 267 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,280 So it's like having a live feed of the sun's most exciting 268 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:29,780 moment? 269 00:08:29,780 --> 00:08:30,760 Yeah, exactly. 270 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:31,480 That's awesome. 271 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:33,920 And SDO has given us so much information 272 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,760 about solar flares, coronal mass ejections, 273 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,280 and how the sun's magnetic field works. 274 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,600 So it's like we have front row seats to the sun's biggest 275 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:43,120 shell. 276 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,400 And then we have ESSOHO, the Solar and Heliospheric 277 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:47,200 Observatory. 278 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:47,700 OK. 279 00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:51,040 It's been watching the sun from space since 1995. 280 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,420 So what does ESSO focus on? 281 00:08:53,420 --> 00:08:55,200 Well, it's a multipurpose observatory. 282 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:55,700 OK. 283 00:08:55,700 --> 00:08:59,360 But one of its big contributions is in helioseismology. 284 00:08:59,360 --> 00:08:59,860 Hold on. 285 00:08:59,860 --> 00:09:01,800 Helioseismology, what's that? 286 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,400 It's the study of the sun's interior, but using soundwaves. 287 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:05,920 Why? 288 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,160 Kind of like how geologists use seismic waves 289 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,680 to study the earth's insides, helioseismologists 290 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:14,320 use soundwaves to map out the sun's structure. 291 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:17,520 So we can actually see inside the sun using sound. 292 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:18,120 We can. 293 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:19,200 That's wild. 294 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,000 By looking at the patterns of those soundwaves, 295 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,840 we can learn about the sun's density, its temperature, what 296 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:27,360 it's made of at different depths. 297 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,360 So it's like taking an ultrasound of the sun. 298 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:29,960 Yeah. 299 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:31,040 That's a great analogy. 300 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:32,760 It's revealing all these hidden layers. 301 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,800 And ESSO, it's totally revolutionized 302 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,800 how we understand the sun's interior, 303 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,400 helping us see the processes that drive all that activity. 304 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,640 Seems like we have this impressive toolbox 305 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:45,800 for studying the sun. 306 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:46,640 We do. 307 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,400 And these tools are always getting better and more 308 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,600 precise, giving us more detailed and insightful views 309 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:55,240 of our star all the time. 310 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,560 It's not all just for scientific curiosity, though, right? 311 00:09:57,560 --> 00:09:58,760 Yeah, definitely not. 312 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:01,800 I mean, understanding the sun has real implications for us 313 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:02,400 here on Earth. 314 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:03,040 Absolutely. 315 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,320 The sun is not just some faraway object. 316 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:08,680 It's this powerful force that can 317 00:10:08,680 --> 00:10:11,880 have a massive impact on our planet and everything we use. 318 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:13,840 We talked about solar storms before 319 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,320 and how they could mess up our power grids and communication 320 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:16,840 systems. 321 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:17,320 Right. 322 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,480 And those storms, they start on the sun. 323 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,840 And they can travel so fast through space, 324 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,160 reaching Earth in just a few hours or days. 325 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:28,520 So the more we learn about the sun and how it acts, 326 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:30,320 the better we can prepare for those storms. 327 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:30,880 Exactly. 328 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:32,440 And maybe even lessen their impact. 329 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,920 By monitoring the sun's activity and creating better forecasting 330 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:41,000 models, we can give people early warnings about potential storms. 331 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,400 So it's about understanding our star, not just 332 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,600 for the knowledge itself, but for our own safety. 333 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:46,440 It is. 334 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:48,520 The sun gives us life and energy, 335 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:50,200 but it can be dangerous, too. 336 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,520 By studying it carefully, we can learn 337 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,160 how to live with it, using its benefits, 338 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:57,200 and protecting ourselves from any harm. 339 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:01,120 OK, so we've talked about the structure of the sun, 340 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,520 the different layers, and all the amazing missions 341 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:05,120 helping us understand it. 342 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:07,880 But what about all those crazy events we see on the sun? 343 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:08,880 Right. 344 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:13,160 Those huge bursts of energy and eruptions of plasma. 345 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,400 Can we zoom in on those a bit? 346 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:16,400 Oh, definitely. 347 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,920 We're talking about sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass 348 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:21,120 ejections. 349 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,280 They're not only visually stunning, 350 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:27,200 but they give us clues about the sun's magnetic field 351 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,120 and how it affects us here on Earth. 352 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:31,000 OK, so let's start with sunspots. 353 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:31,500 Yeah. 354 00:11:31,500 --> 00:11:34,440 I remember seeing pictures of those as a kid, 355 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,440 those dark patches on the sun. 356 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:37,400 What are they exactly? 357 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,600 Imagine these massive magnetic knots on the sun's surface. 358 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:45,200 They're so strong, they actually stop the heat from below 359 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,400 from getting to the surface. 360 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:47,080 Oh, wow. 361 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,480 So a sunspot, it's actually a region that's 362 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:50,680 cooler than its surroundings. 363 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:51,800 That's why it looks darker. 364 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,680 So it's like a magnetic traffic jam blocking the heat. 365 00:11:54,680 --> 00:11:55,360 Precisely. 366 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:57,520 And these sunspots can be enormous. 367 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,640 Some are even bigger than the entire Earth. 368 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:00,640 That's huge. 369 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:02,880 But they're not just sitting there, right? 370 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:03,380 Yeah. 371 00:12:03,380 --> 00:12:04,480 They change over time. 372 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:05,200 You got it. 373 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,880 Sunspots go through these cycles of activity. 374 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:09,200 We call it the solar cycle. 375 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:10,720 It lasts about 11 years. 376 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:11,200 OK. 377 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,760 And during the cycle, the number of sunspots, it goes up, 378 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:14,760 it goes down. 379 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,960 And that affects how often we see other solar events too. 380 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,400 Like you mean the solar flares and coronal mass ejection. 381 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:21,000 Exactly. 382 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:22,940 Think of sunspots like the epicenters 383 00:12:22,940 --> 00:12:24,480 for all these powerful events. 384 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:26,600 You know those tangled magnetic fields we talk about? 385 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:27,100 Yeah. 386 00:12:27,100 --> 00:12:28,640 Sometimes they snap. 387 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:29,160 Oh, wow. 388 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,360 And when they do, they release just this massive amount 389 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:32,880 of energy. 390 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:34,240 And is that when we get a solar flare? 391 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:34,740 That's it. 392 00:12:34,740 --> 00:12:36,960 A solar flare, it's like the sudden flash, 393 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,280 this burst of radiation across the whole electromagnetic 394 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:44,160 spectrum from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays. 395 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:44,880 Wow. 396 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,880 And if a really strong flare is pointed right at Earth, 397 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:51,400 well, it can mess with our radio communications, GPS signals, 398 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:52,760 even damaged satellites. 399 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:53,880 That's intense. 400 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:57,280 OK, so what about coronal mass ejections, the CMEs? 401 00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:57,880 Yeah. 402 00:12:57,880 --> 00:12:59,600 They sound even more powerful. 403 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:01,000 OK, picture this. 404 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,400 A billion ton cloud of charged particles, 405 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,040 just this giant bubble of plasma, 406 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,760 launched into space at crazy speeds. 407 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:09,760 That's a CME. 408 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:10,260 Whoa. 409 00:13:10,260 --> 00:13:13,440 It's like a solar tsunami caused by those snapping magnetic 410 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:14,080 fields. 411 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,040 So it's like sunspots are the warning signs. 412 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:16,560 Yeah. 413 00:13:16,560 --> 00:13:18,640 Heads up, something big is about to happen. 414 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:19,600 Yeah, you could say that. 415 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,120 Sunspots are where the magnetic activity is really high. 416 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:22,620 Right. 417 00:13:22,620 --> 00:13:25,560 And all that activity can lead to these explosive events 418 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:27,280 that can definitely affect us here. 419 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,440 It's kind of incredible and a little scary 420 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:32,800 how these little dark spots on the sun can cause so much stuff. 421 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,520 It really shows how connected everything 422 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:36,880 is in our solar system. 423 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:37,400 Yeah. 424 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,800 The sun's activity, it ripples through space, 425 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:43,120 affects everything in its path. 426 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,360 And the better we understand these events, 427 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,320 the better we can protect our tech and ourselves. 428 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:50,000 This deep dive has been amazing. 429 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,280 We've gone from the sun's core all the way to its corona. 430 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:56,760 We've uncovered some secrets and seen just how powerful it is. 431 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:58,400 Any final thoughts for our listeners? 432 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:00,440 I'd say remember this. 433 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,280 The sun isn't just some distant object. 434 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:05,600 It's what sustains life on Earth. 435 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:07,760 But it can also be dangerous. 436 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:08,360 Right. 437 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,200 By studying it, getting to know it, 438 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:13,120 we can learn how to live with it, appreciate its beauty, 439 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:14,800 but respect its power too. 440 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:15,840 That's a great point. 441 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,040 Thank you so much for taking us on this incredible journey 442 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:18,600 to the sun. 443 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:19,400 You're welcome. 444 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,240 And listeners, we hope you've enjoyed learning 445 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:22,640 all about our nearest star. 446 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,640 If you want to keep exploring space with us, 447 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,240 be sure to follow and subscribe to Cosmos in a Pod 448 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:28,640 and our YouTube channel. 449 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:55,400 Until next time, keep looking up and keep wondering.