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What Can We Learn from Studying The Sun?
Life on Earth is possible because of the heat and energy we receive from the Sun. But that’s not the only way that the Sun affects life on Earth. Explore how the activity on the surface of the Sun affects us on Earth and in space.
Exploring the Sun
Life on Earth depends on the heat and energy we receive from the Sun. But that’s not the only way that the Sun affects life on Earth. The activity on the surface of the Sun affects us in many ways. Let’s first explore what is happening in the Sun!
What’s up at the Sun?
The Sun is made up of a huge amount of gases. Hydrogen makes up 92.1% of these gases and 7.8% of the Sun’s mass is helium. There are also other gases and metals such as iron, nickel, oxygen, silicon, sulphur, magnesium, carbon, neon, calcium, and chromium that make up the rest of the Sun’s mass.
The hydrogen in the core of the Sun is going through a process called nuclear fusion. In this process lighter elements (hydrogen items in this case) fuse together due to pressure (such as gravity) and make up a new element (helium in this case). The Sun is using up hydrogen and making helium through this nuclear fusion process for billions of years. An enormous amount of energy is released when hydrogen nuclei are combined into one helium nucleus. This energy reaches us on Earth in the form of heat and light.
The Sun’s composition is not homogenous, rather it is divided into various layers. The core of the Sun is the only place where nuclear fusion reactions take place. The sun’s other layers are heated from the nuclear energy created in the core of the Sun. Likewise, there are other activities happening on various layers of the Sun.
How do the events at the Sun impact Earth?
Among other activities, the Sun produces a continuous flow of charged particles, called the solar wind, in all directions. This wave of charged particles slows down as it travels through space, but it still reaches us at Earth.
Nicky Fox, the division director for heliophysics at NASA headquarters, explains that solar wind affects Earth magnetosphere like this: “As the wind flows toward Earth, it carries with it the Sun’s magnetic field. It moves very fast, then smacks right into Earth’s magnetic field. The blow causes a shock to our magnetic protection, which can result in turbulence.”
The solar wind affects Earth in many ways, for example, it may disrupt communications, navigation systems, and satellites. Solar wind can also cause power outages. One such power outage was experienced by Canadians in 1989. It’s not all bad, though, the beautiful lights of the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis are also caused by the interaction of solar winds with Earth’s atmosphere.
Watch this video to know more about solar wind’s impact on Earth:
https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.solarwind/solar-winds-effect-on-earth/
How to study the Sun?
It is not safe to land or even go close to the Sun because it emits tremendous amounts of heat and radiation. That’s why scientists use innovative technology to study the Sun.
To study the Sun up close, NASA launched Parker Solar Probe that has now become the closest-ever human-made object to the Sun! On October 29, 2018, it went as close as 26.55 million miles to the Sun’s surface.
According to an article published by Forbes, “The Parker Solar Probe is set to continually make and break the record for the next few years, ending with a final close encounter of just 3.83 million miles from the Sun’s surface in 2024.”
You can study the Sun too!
People have been studying the sun for centuries, even before they had the cool technologies that scientists use today. The early scientists used a tool called a Camera Obscura that let them study an image of the sun safely.
Using the materials included in the Out of the Box Outdoor Science Kit (including the box itself), you can create your very own Camera Obscura (also called a pinhole camera) and amaze your friends and parents!
Learn more and order your kit here: https://www.sasksciencecentre.com/out-of-the-box-science
Want to learn more about the Sun?
Dig deep with this special episode of SSCTV that is all about the Sun!
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Cavity-Nesting Birds
There are approximately 50 species of cavity dwelling birds in Canada. Know about various types and their preferences in building a house for raising their young ones
Where to Raise a Family - As a Bird?
Not all birds make nests out of twigs and leaves; instead, some birds like a proper house to live in and raise a family. These birds, called cavity-nesters, have two types. The birds that build their own houses by hollowing a tree or by digging a hole in rocks/dirt mounds are called primary cavity-nesting birds. The birds that use the cavities and holes deserted by other cavity-nesters are called the secondary cavity-nesting birds. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, and wrens are some common examples of cavity-nesting birds.
Custom-Built or Preowned House?
Primary cavity-nesters like to build their houses from scratch according to their own needs. They first pick a suitable location that is safe and has access to the necessary resources. Then they build their houses with the dimensions and layout that fulfills their needs. For example, some species like to have a small entry hole to deter predators from getting inside.
The secondary cavity-nesting birds, on the other hand, keep an eye out for an empty house built by the primary cavity-nesters or just find a natural cavity in trees or other structures. That’s because they don’t have the strong beaks to hollow a tree or dig a hole. They don’t usually make changes to these “preowned houses” and just start living in the cavities in whatever conditions they are available.
There are approximately 50 species of cavity-dwelling birds in Canada according to Nature Conservancy Canada. Have you seen a cavity-nesting bird in your area? Let us know in the comments below!
Want to take your outdoor exploration adventures to the next level?
Observing various types of birds is an excellent outdoor activity for summer. We have included birdwatching cards in our “Out of the Box Outdoor Science” kit to get kids excited about birds and learn about their habitat.
Kids will also get to explore leaves, campfires, bugs, animal poop, tornadoes, microorganisms, sunshine, and stars.
Know more about the “Out of the Box Outdoor Science” kit here:
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Patterns in Nature
Have you ever noticed that there are patterns in many natural organisms? What could be their purpose? How do they help nature?
Explore Patterns in Nature
Many shapes in nature follow a special spiral pattern, and this pattern has been known as the golden ratio, which was first discussed by ancient mathematicians and philosophers. We can see this pattern in spiral of seashells, seeds in the head of a sunflower, pine cones, aloe, pineapples, cacti, snowflakes, and even in the double helix of DNA.
This pattern is expressed as Fibonacci numbers, named after the Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa (also known as Fibonacci), who introduced this pattern to European mathematicians. Previously this pattern was discussed much earlier by several Indian mathematicians.
Fibonacci numbers are a sequence in which the third number is the sum of the two preceding numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, into infinity. The ratio of two consecutive Fibonacci numbers is the golden ratio. In mathematical form, we can write this as: (a+b)/a =ɸ. Where ɸ (called phi) is an irrational number that starts out as 1.6180339887... ∞.
Why does nature have this specific pattern?
There is no definitive answer to this question. Scientists have pointed out many benefits of this pattern, which could be a reason that these patterns are preferred by nature. One key feature of this pattern is that a structure can grow in size without affecting the stability of the structure. So, the nature uses this pattern for stable growth of a structure.
On many types of trees, the leaves are aligned in this specific spiral pattern. The scientists speculate that for plants the spiral arrangement of leaves maximizes the sunlight exposure, which is critical for the plant’s growth. You can read more about it here: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/58824887.pdf
Are there other special patterns in nature?
Once you start looking at nature with the intent of finding a pattern, you can find patterns everywhere. Fractal is another repeating pattern that is mostly found in nature. A fractal is a never-ending geometric pattern. In a fractal, a pattern is repeated in the same way, appearing as smaller and smaller versions.
We’ve got an in-depth article to help you observe fractals in leaves around you and create your own fractals. Check it out at this link: https://www.sasksciencecentre.com/real-science-real-fun/fractals-math-is-written-in-the-leaves.
Want to take your outdoor exploration adventures to the next level?
We’ve got a special kit for that!
The Out of the Box Outdoor Science kit is packed with fun experiments and activities for kids to explore science in the outdoors!
Kids will get to explore leaves, campfires, bugs, animal poop, tornadoes, microorganisms, sunshine, and stars. Yes, we’ve packed all of these fun activities in a little portable box for kids to take along wherever they plan to hang out this summer - campsites, parks, or even their own backyards.
Loving this content? Make a donation to the Saskatchewan Science Centre!
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The Largest Organism on Earth
Do you know what’s the largest organism on Earth?
The Largest Organism on Earth
A grove of 47,000 Aspens originating from a single male parent Aspen is the largest organism on Earth. This grove covers 106 acres in Richfield, Utah, USA. The estimated total weight of wood in this organism is approximately 6,000 tonnes.
How Did This Grove Get So Large?
The single male aspen has been genetically cloning itself for thousands of years to make this huge grove, which is named Pando (Latin for ‘I spread’).
But not all Aspens are clones as they do reproduce through pollination when they can. So how can we tell if a particular stand of aspens is a clone or not?
The only sure way to tell is through genetic testing, but if all the leaves in the stand emerge at the same time in spring and turn the same colour simultaneously in the fall, then the trees just might be clone.
Special Aspens in Canada
Aspens are native to Canada and we can find one very special aspen grove right here in Saskatchewan.
Crooked Bush (also known as Twisted Trees) near Hafford, Saskatchewan is a small grove of Aspen trees that have developed a genetic mutation that makes them grow in a twisted shape.
Next time you spot Aspen trees, try to guess if they are clones or not! But, before you go on looking for cloned Aspens, make sure that they are Aspens and not Birch trees.
How To Tell Aspen and Birch Trees Apart?
Aspen and Birch trees both have straight whitish stems which makes it difficult to tell them apart. The easiest way to tell both trees apart is by looking closely at their leaves. The Aspen leaves are rounder compared to the Birch leaves and have relatively less sharp edges.
Aspen Leaves
Birch Leaves
If you know any other cool facts about Aspens, share them with us in the comment section below.
Interested in exploring nature?
Into Nature’s Wild is a non-stop ride via kayak, bike, train, hot air balloon, zipline, kiteboard, hiking boots and more. An IMAX film that visits some of the most beautiful but untamed landscapes of the great outdoors, from the lush coastline of Oregon and the wilds of Alaska to the ancient canyons of the Southwest and the rolling hills of the Appalachian Trail.
Loving this content? Make a donation to the Saskatchewan Science Centre!
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