What is a solar granulation pattern?
1 Answer
Mar 4, 2016
It refers to the apparent granular pattern when the Sun is viewed up close. It's actually convection cells of gas.
Explanation:
The Sun is a violent place compared with anything we experience on Earth. Deep in its core nuclear fusion gives off huge amounts of radiant energy. In addition to providing warmth and light to a planet 93 million miles away, this energy drives powerful gas flows farther out in the Sun's body. This flow is convection, the same as what we see when warm air roses over cold air in Earth -- except with a lot more energy driving it. The flowing gas organized itself into ever-shifting cells that appear as the granular pattern.
