It's hot... super hot: Finding answers around the sun
Wednesday, November 13, 2013 - 07:00
in Astronomy & Space
(Phys.org) —Astronomers have collectively puzzled over two working theories for a conundrum involving the sun that have been discussed in Astronomy 101 classes for decades: Why is the sun's corona (the atmosphere beyond the sun) so hot? The sun's core is a searing 15 million degrees Kelvin, but by the time that heat reaches the sun's surface, it cools off to a mere 6,000 degrees, only to again heat up to more than a million degrees in the corona.