A song about the Sun...

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbgul1NpEA8

"The sun is a miasmaof incandescent plasma.

The sun's not simply made out of gas, no, no, no.The sun is a quagmire.

It's not made of fire.Forget what you've been told

In the past."-They Might Be Giants,

"Why Does the Sun Really Shine?"

Section 3 – The Sun Learning Targets3. How does the Sun influence the Earth?a) describe the source of the sun’s energy (nuclear fusion) (DOK1)b) differentiate between various solar phenomena (solar winds, solar flares, sunspots, CMEs), what causes them, and assess their impact on Earth. (DOK2)c) analyze and interpret data about the solar cycle (DOK2-3)d)* design, conduct, analyze, and communicate about a scientific investigation (DOK2-3)core vocabulary: nuclear fusion, solar wind, solar flare, coronal mass ejections (cme), sunspot, space weather

UNIT A ASSESSMENT 3:Solar Phenomena - students produce a data table and a graph to show they can practice mathematical literacy skills and use technology to analyze and interpret data. (DOK3)

The Sun – In the NewsThink about it… Record your thoughts in your science notebook.

1. Why would information about the sun appear ‘in the news’?

2. What do you already know about the sun?3. What questions do you have about the

sun?4. Does the source of scientific information

matter?

The not-so Northern Lights: Solar flare slams into Earth to

display majestic aurora as far south as Kansas, Maine and Donegal

Mail Online Science & Tech PUBLISHED: 10:15 EST, 3 October 2013

• Solar flares create auroras when radiation from the sun reaches Earth and mixes with protons in our atmosphere

• A powerful solar flare directed at Earth has put on majestic display of the northern lights across parts of Canada, the U.S and Ireland.

Space Weather: Sunspots, Solar Flares & Coronal Mass Ejections

Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com Contributor | May 13, 2013 01:10pm EThttp://www.space.com/11506-space-weather-sunspots-solar-flares-coronal-mass-ejections.html

• Although the sun lies 93 million miles (149 million km) from Earth its constant activity produces an impact on our planet far beyond the obvious light and heat.

• Earth often feels the effects of its stellar companions from a constant stream of particles in the form of solar wind , solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

• Less noticeable are the sunspots crossing the solar surface, though they are related to the more violent interactions.

• All of these fall under the definition of "space weather."

Cool video (1 min) http://www.space.com/21830-monster-sun-prominence-and-strong-flare-kick-off-july-video.html

Space Weather Video :NOAA: What happens at the sun doesn't stay at the sun ! https://

www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=bg_gD2-ujCk(~4 ½ minutes; Sept 7 2012)

Focus Questions: (Tape handout in science notebook and answer these questions there )

1. What is space weather? (~ 1:00-1:30) 2. How can space weather affect Earth? (~ 1:30-2:00) 3. How is predicting space weather similar to predicting weather on earth? (~3:00-4:00) 4. Why is space weather a problem now, but wasn’t 100’s of years

ago?

What's wrong with the sun?14 June 2010 by Stuart Clark

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627640.800-whats-wrong-with-the-sun.html?full=true#.Ulq0pzbnYdU

• SUNSPOTS come and go, but recently they have mostly gone.

• dark blemishes on the solar surface appear, then fade away again after weeks or months.

• sunspot numbers ebb and flow in cycles lasting about 11 years.

• But for the past two years, the sunspots have mostly been missing.

• their absence, the longest for nearly a hundred years, has taken even seasoned sun watchers by surprise.

• "This is solar behavior we haven't seen in living memory," says David Hathaway, a physicist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Sun Unleashes Another Solar Storm Aimed at Earthby Tariq Malik of Space.com | August 22, 2013 04:55pm ET

• The solar eruption, called a coronal mass ejection, occurred yesterday and sent charged particles streaking outward at 380 miles per second. That's just over 1.3 million mph (2.2 million km/h). The solar fallout from the sun storm is expected to reach Earth within the next three days.

• "These particles cannot travel through the atmosphere to harm humans on Earth, but they can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground," NASA officials explained in a statement.

[Solar Max Photos: Sun Storms of 2013] Credit: NASA/ESA SOHO

Sun Storm Forecast: Tiny Chance of Havoc By KENNETH CHANG Published: March 18, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/19/science/space/on-the-watch-for-a-solar-storm.html

• In 1859 the Sun erupted, and on Earth wires shot off sparks that shocked telegraph operators and set their paper on fire.

• It was the biggest geomagnetic storm in recorded history. The Sun hurled billions of tons of electrons and protons whizzing toward Earth, and when those particles slammed into the planet’s magnetic field they created spectacular auroras of red, green and purple in the night skies — along with powerful currents of electricity that flowed out of the ground into the wires, overloading the circuits.

• If such a storm struck in the 21st century, much more than paper and wires would be at risk. Some telecommunications satellites high above Earth would be disabled. GPS signals would be scrambled. And the surge of electricity from the ground would threaten electrical grids, perhaps plunging a continent or two into darkness.

Solar Flare poses huge threatGlenn Harlan Reynolds, columnist, 1:53 p.m. EDT June 28, 2013http://www.usatoday.com/

Though the sun lies 93 million miles (149 million km) from Earth, its unceasing activity assures an impact on our planet far beyond the obvious light and heat. From a constant stream of particles in the form of solar wind to the unpredictable bombardment from solar flares and coronal mass ejections, Earth often feels the effects of its stellar companions.

A solar flare captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory last month.(Photo: NASA via AP)

CONSIDER THE SOURCE: The article on the last slide was from a columnist... Look at some of the details mentioned in the article...

How is this different from some of the other articles we have looked at?

Solar Flare poses huge threat: ColumnGlenn Harlan Reynolds 1:53 p.m. EDT June 28, 2013

http://www.usatoday.com/

• A solar flare could wipe out the communications and electrical grids while frying a wide variety of electronics, quickly sending us back to the 19th Century.

• That's happened before. In fact, it happened in the 19th Century, with the "Carrington Event" of 1859. ...the Carrington event had a literally shocking impact -- causing some operators to be shocked, and inducing strong enough currents in the telegraph wires that operators could disconnect the batteries and operate the telegraph off of the flare-induced electrical flow.

The article on the last slide was from a columnist... Look at some of the details mentioned in the article...

How is this different from some of the other articles we have looked at? Solar Flare poses huge threat: Column

Glenn Harlan Reynolds 1:53 p.m. EDT June 28, 2013http://www.usatoday.com/

• ...a similar event today would fry computers, cell phones, new cars and more.

• ...it would probably melt major transformers in the power net, transformers that take months or years to replace and that are expensive enough that few spares are kept. Big chunks of the planet -- all of North America, for example -- might be without electricity for a year or longer.

• The disruption would kill a lot of people -- some quickly, as medical devices failed, others later as food supplies and clean water became scarce. Without electricity, pretty much everything in our civilization comes to a stop. The economic damage would be incalculable.

Sun into Gemini: Time to be Curious and Think Higher Thoughts opednews.com Life Arts 5/17/2012 at 13:18:50 By Anne Nordhaus-Bike http://www.opednews.com/articles/Sun-into-Gemini-Time-to-b-by-Anne-Nordhaus-Bike-120516-92.html

Welcome to Gemini time. The Sun leaves Taurus and enters Gemini on Sunday, May 20, at 10:17 a.m. CDT (3:17 p.m. GMT). It will remain in Gemini until June 20.

This shift is taking all of us from earth to air, from our bodies to our minds: ruled by speedy Mercury, Gemini loves nothing so much as a good conversation (or several, all at once) and entertaining ideas. That makes this a good time to explore your mind, including how you think, how you process information, and how you communicate with others.

Consider the source...

Stop here

Solar Storms and SunspotsBy JONATHAN CORUM Published: March 18, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/03/19/science/space/0319-solar.html?ref=sun&_r=0

• The Sun can release sprays of electrons and protons called coronal mass ejections. Below, images show the largest and fastest ejection ever measured, a massive plume moving up to 2,200 miles a second. A large ejection directed at Earth could severely damage electrical grids.

http://www.space.com/topics/solar-flares-space-weather-latest-news/

This site has many articles, photos, and videos about the sun and space weather !

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/space_time/solar_flare/

This site has many articles about solar flares and other information about the sun and space weather !

Even More Articles

• http://news.yahoo.com/fallout-huge-solar-flare-sideswipes-earth-today-193253342.html

• http://www.infowars.com/2-weeks-ago-a-huge-solar-flare-almost-knocked-out-power-nationwide/

• http://www.weather.com/news/science/space/sun-fires-solar-storm-directly-earth-20130821

(re)Consider the sourceon these next few slides

The Sun Is Shrinking by Russell Akridge, Ph.D.

1980 The Sun Is Shrinking. Acts & Facts. 9 (4).

http://www.icr.org/article/sun-shrinking/

Since publication of this article in 1980, studies of the sun’s size have yielded different results. Currently, scientists are not united enough concerning any broadscale trends to support age estimates based on the size of the sun. In his 1998 article "The Young Faint Sun Paradox and the Age of the Solar System," Dr. Danny Faulkner provided an updated perspective that is more consistent with the relevant solar data. Other studies do provide ample evidence for the youth of the solar system and earth, such as the studies cited in the Evidence section Many Earth Clocks Indicate Recent Creation.

The Sun in the News ...Ellie Crystal is a Psychic, Teacher, Author, Researcher, Lecturer, and Broadcaster.

Articles range from 2004-2013 http://www.crystalinks.com/solarnews.html

• Coronal Hole - Spaceweather.com - August 14, 2013 • Doomsday Fear: Could an EMP Throw World into Chaos Live Science -

August 14, 2013• Sun's Magnetic Field Flip Won't Doom Earth, Scientists Say Live Science -

August 8, 2013• The Sun's Magnetic Field is about to Flip NASA - August 5, 2013 • Solar Flares Fire Off Antimatter Particles Live Science - July 9, 2013• Sun's Magnetic 'Heartbeat' Revealed Live Science - April 4, 2013