The Anatomy of the Sun

In this video from NOVA’s Sun Lab, learn about the Sun’s composition and structure. The Sun is a plasma, primarily made of hydrogen with smaller amounts of other elements. Animations and images illustrate the physical and behavioral properties of the Sun’s six regions: the core, radiative zone, convective zone, photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. The two outer layers (chromosphere and corona) that make up the Sun’s atmosphere were not observed regularly until recently; they provide valuable information and may be crucial to understanding solar storms.