Table of Contents
What protects the Earth from the Sun?
magnetosphere
Enveloping our planet and protecting us from the fury of the Sun is a giant bubble of magnetism called the magnetosphere. It deflects most of the solar material sweeping towards us from our star at 1 million miles per hour or more.
What absorbs harmful particles from the sun?
The ozone layer is a thin part of the Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs almost all of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet light.
What retains heat from the sun in the atmosphere?
greenhouse gases
About a third of the Sun’s energy (30%) is reflected back into space. The rest of the Sun’s energy (20%) is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere also absorb and hold some of the heat energy radiating back from Earth’s surface.
How does the sun contribute to the solar system?
Compared with the billions of other stars in the universe, the sun is unremarkable. But for Earth and the other planets that revolve around it, the sun is a powerful center of attention. It holds the solar system together; provides life-giving light, heat, and energy to Earth; and generates space weather.
How is the Earth protected from the particles and radiation from the sun?
Life on Earth is protected from the full impact of solar and cosmic radiation by the magnetic fields that surround the Earth and by the Earth’s atmosphere. In addition to a protective atmosphere, we are also lucky that Earth has a magnetic field. It shields us from the full effects of the solar wind and GCR.
What is the Earth’s protective shield called?
Earth is surrounded by invisible gases that form a thin protective blanket that we call the atmosphere. It contains the oxygen that we breath as well as other important gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone.
How does the sun affect the atmosphere?
Almost all living things rely on the steady light and heat of the Sun. Aside from its heat and visible light, the Sun also shines in ultraviolet (UV) light. The burning of these fuels causes global warming by emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, where it traps the Sun’s heat.