Mission Commander
- The Sun is located in the center of our Solar System
- The Sun's Surface Temperature is approximately 5,800 K
- Temperature of the Sun's core is close to 15.7 million K
- Energy is produced nuclear fusion through a series of steps called the Proton-Proton Chain. This process converts hydrogen into helium.
- A solar prominence (also known as a filament) is an arc of gas that erupts from the surface of the Sun. Prominences can loop hundreds of thousands of miles into space. Prominences are held above the Sun's surface by strong magnetic fields and can last for many months. At some time in their existence, most prominences will erupt, spewing enormous amounts of solar material into space. Sunspots are temporary phenomena on the photosphere of the Sun that appear visibly as dark spots compared to surrounding regions. They correspond to concentrations of the magnetic field that inhibit convection and result in reduced surface temperature compared to the surrounding photosphere. So when a prominence happens it increases the magnetic field and changes the temperature, affecting the sunspots.