2006-10-05 03:06:03 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
1200 years. The speckles you see on the sun's photosphere are the tops of convection columns.
here are some great photos of the sun:
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html
and here is one image, taken in near UV, where the columns are quite visible:
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/javagif/gifs/20061005_0119_eit_304.gif
2006-10-05 03:14:37 · answer #1 · answered by disco legend zeke 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A very simple calculation gives you a number that is on the order of a million years. However, the calculation makes several simplifications which change the answer. For instance, the simple calculation assumes the Sun has a constant density, which it most certainly doesn't (it's much more dense at the center). Also, such a calculation says nothing about currents inside the Sun, which may or may not affect the answer (I'm not sure one way or the other at first glance).
2006-10-05 23:30:47 · answer #2 · answered by DAG 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It varies based on the heat convection currents... some heat can be trapped in the sun's core for millions of years, while some heat can escape in "just" a matter of centuries.
2006-10-05 14:19:37 · answer #3 · answered by Brooks B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The consensus from what I understand is about one million years.
2006-10-05 11:13:44 · answer #4 · answered by ron k 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have heard millions of years, but it's all speculation
2006-10-05 10:07:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'll tell when my fingers get burnt.
2006-10-05 11:00:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋