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photosphere
(redirected from Surface of the sun)

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
pho·to·sphere  (ft-sfîr)
n.
The visible outer layer of a star, especially of the sun.

photo·spheric (-sfîrk, -sfrk) adj.

photosphere [ˈfəʊtəʊˌsfɪə]
n
(Astronomy) the visible surface of the sun, several hundred kilometres thick
photospheric  [ˌfəʊtəʊˈsfɛrɪk] adj

photosphere  (ft-sfîr)
The lowest visible layer of a star, lying beneath the chromosphere and the corona. Stars are made entirely of gas and thus have no surface per se, but the gas beneath the photosphere is opaque, so the photosphere acts as their effective visible surface; it is also the boundary from which the Sun's diameter is measured. The Sun's photosphere is a very thin layer made up of numerous granules (transient convective cells) where hot gases rise and give off light and heat. The photosphere of the Sun has a temperature of around 6,000°K and is the region in which sunspot activity is located.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.photosphere - the intensely luminous surface of a star (especially the sun)
surface - the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object; "they skimmed over the surface of the water"; "a brush small enough to clean every dental surface"; "the sun has no distinct surface"
Sun - the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system; "the sun contains 99.85% of the mass in the solar system"; "the Earth revolves around the Sun"


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So unless you''re planning on reading your booklet on the surface of the sun, you''ll never have to worry about the cover melting on you.
s Northern Lights are naturally occurring phenomena which happen as a result of gas produced by solar activity on the surface of the sun.
s sunspots became less common over the last few years, large coronal holes lingered in the surface of the Sun near its equator.
 
 
 
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