Post by LOU on Aug 3rd, 2012 at 3:02pm
Peter, read about string theory & membranes. Maybe no need to go so fast? ::)
The sun is made up of mostly hydrogen gas, but the extreme gravitational pressure at the core turns the gas into something very different - plasma. The pressure is so great, and temperatures so high (around 15 million Kelvin) that the simple atoms of hydrogen fuse to create helium. During the process of this fusion reaction a small amount of mass is lost in the form of a photon, about .7 %. Even though this is a small number, it is times C (the speed of light). This results in a very large amount of energy being released.
The photons created during the fusion process deep in the core of the sun can take thousands of years to reach the surface of the sun and go on their journey into space, where eight minutes later they reach us as light. In one second, our sun produces enough energy for almost 500,000 years of the current needs of our planet. As CoolP showed in the video our sun is just a small stable star which is good for us.
Every thing we touch and us as well came from the evolution of stars. Everything on the periodic table was created in a star and during the death of a star. We are stardust! 8-)
Maybe this should be astronomy 101... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQu_RRLbVDA
We really know so little! :-[
Lou
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The sun is made up of mostly hydrogen gas, but the extreme gravitational pressure at the core turns the gas into something very different - plasma. The pressure is so great, and temperatures so high (around 15 million Kelvin) that the simple atoms of hydrogen fuse to create helium. During the process of this fusion reaction a small amount of mass is lost in the form of a photon, about .7 %. Even though this is a small number, it is times C (the speed of light). This results in a very large amount of energy being released.
The photons created during the fusion process deep in the core of the sun can take thousands of years to reach the surface of the sun and go on their journey into space, where eight minutes later they reach us as light. In one second, our sun produces enough energy for almost 500,000 years of the current needs of our planet. As CoolP showed in the video our sun is just a small stable star which is good for us.
Every thing we touch and us as well came from the evolution of stars. Everything on the periodic table was created in a star and during the death of a star. We are stardust! 8-)
Maybe this should be astronomy 101... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQu_RRLbVDA
We really know so little! :-[
Lou
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