Getting too close to the sun is definitely not a good idea. Its immense heat and radiation can be very dangerous, which is why it is good that we are a distance away from it that we are.
When looking at the sun, it may seem far away, but according to experts, we are still within the sun’s atmosphere, also called its heliosphere.
Here on Earth, the atmosphere goes up several miles and extends out into space some distance. This helps to keep warmth in, block solar winds and radiation, and provide a shield against asteroids and meteorites.
The sun’s atmosphere does many of the same things for us, only on a much bigger level.
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory uses advanced technology to get a glimpse inside the sun, where they found that its core rotates at a rate that is four times faster than the movement on the surface. This is where hydrogen is fused into helium, outside of that is the chromosphere, and then the corona. Beyond that begins the sun’s atmosphere, which extends out past all the planets in the solar system.
It may seem odd to think that the Earth is within this heliosphere, but it is actually a good thing, though it may not always be the case. The size of the atmosphere shrinks and grows over time depending on a number of factors.
One study published in Nature Astronomy suggests that at some point in the distant past, our solar system passed through an area of cold gas. This may have caused the sun’s heliosphere to contract down to the point where the Earth was likely outside of it, exposing the planet to interstellar space.
In the paper, it was said:
“It has been suggested that climate changes around this time could have affected human evolution. The hypothesis is that the emergence of our species Homo sapiens was shaped by the need to adapt to climate change. With the shrinkage of the heliosphere, the Earth was exposed directly to the ISM [Interstellar Medium].”
The different types of radiation and other factors impacted life here on Earth in ways that are not fully known. It is likely that this will eventually happen once again, though not for millions of years.
It is scary to think that we are inside the sun’s atmosphere.
If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a second giant hole has opened up on the sun’s surface. Here’s what it means.