What effects does the Sun have on us?

1. What effects does the Sun have on us?

4. Sunlight • The sun emits the whole electromagnetic spectrum: visible light, infrared, ultraviolet, radio waves, x-rays, and gamma rays. • We can "sense“ many of the waves: Radio waves — cannot be sensed Microwaves — with our skin, sensed as warmth Infrared — with our skin, they feel warm. Visible light — seen with our eyes Ultraviolet — with our skin, ouch… sunburn. X-ray, and gamma rays — Uh-oh… are blocked by the atmosphere, thank you very much!!!

6. Not all emitted energy gets through the atmosphere

7. Wavelength: 200 to 600 m Energy per photon: 10-7 to 10-8 eV Harmful Effects: none known Emitted by: • AM Radio station antennas • The Sun • Astronomical objects • Radio Telescopes Detected by: • Home stereos/AM radio band • Astronomical radio telescope Radio Telescope. Image courtesy of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

8. Wavelength: 2.8 to 3.4 m Energy per photon: 0.00001 eV Harmful Effects: none known Emitted by: • FM radio transmitters • Astronomical objects Detected by: • Home Stereos / FM band • Radio Telescopes Radio Tower. Image courtesy of Trylon-TSF.

9. Wavelength: 10 cm Energy per photon: 0.0001 eV Harmful Effects: Under high intensity, can heat and kill. Cellular phones may affect the brain, but evidence is inconclusive. Emitted by: • In microwave ovens • Radar stations • Cell phones • Gas clouds collapsing into stars Detected by: • Food (heated) • Cell phones • Radar systems • Astronomical radio telescopes Kentucky Emergency Warning System (KEWS), Commonwealth of Kentucky

10. Wavelength: 10 μm or 0.00001 m Energy per photon: 0.1 eV Harmful Effects: high intensity heat and kill. Emitted by: • Food warming lights • Everything at room temperature or above • Lasers • Mammography machines Detected by: • Infrared telescopes • Infrared detectors • Your skin • Rattlesnakes • Night vision devices • Infrared movie cameras Infrared images. Courtesy of JPL / NASA.

11. Wavelength: 0.8 to 3 μm (a μm is one millionth of a meter) Energy per photon: 1 eV Harmful Effects: Generally safe Emitted by: • TV remote controls • The Sun • Stars • Plants with chlorophyll • Laser diodes used in fiber optics • Computer ports with infrared ports Detected by: • TVs • Digital cameras • Computers • Infrared astronomy cameras Image courtesy of JPL / NASA.

12. More Specifically:

13. Wavelength: 0.34 μm - 320 nm Energy per photon: 4 – 5 eV Harmful Effects: Skin cancer or eye damage. Emitted by: • Black light bulbs • Tanning booths • Light bulbs • UV lamps for rock and mineral identification • Germicidal lamps • The Sun and Hot stars Detected by: • Flying insects, such as houseflies • Black and white film • Fluorescent paints are used to convert ultraviolet light to visible colors • Astronomical space telescopes Ultraviolet Image of M101, NASA

14. Wavelength: The size of a water molecule to large protein molecules Energy per photon: a medical x-ray is ≈200,000eV Harmful Effects: DNA mutations, cancer. Emitted by: • TV remote controls • The Sun and Stars • Plants with chlorophyll • Laser diodes in fiber optics • Computers with infrared ports Detected by: • TVs • X-ray cameras • Printers with infrared receivers • Computers • Infrared astronomy cameras X-ray/Optical Composite. Image courtesy Chandra X-Ray Observatory

15. Wavelength: 0.001 nanometers Energy per photon: > 100,000 eV Harmful Effects: Cancer, radiation sickness. Emitted by: • Radioactive materials • Nuclear weapons • Gamma ray bursts Detected by: • Military satellites with gamma ray detectors • Astronomical satellites looking for gamma ray bursts Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense.

16. Solar Wind • The solar wind is plasma and moves away from the sun at supersonic speeds. • Plasma is a very hot state of matter where atoms have been ripped apart into the charged protons and electrons that make them up. • Magnetic fields affect plasmas because of the charges on protons and electrons.

18. The charged solar wind is repelled Earth’s magnetic field: