WEBVTT 00:20.754 --> 00:22.455 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% OUR STRANGE, AVERAGE SUN 00:22.555 --> 00:27.894 align:left position:62.5% line:83% size:27.5% HEY STAR GAZERS, TRACE DOMINGUEZ SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR AND ASTRONOMY ENTHUSIAST HERE! 00:27.994 --> 00:33.666 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% OUR SUN IS ALWAYS UP THERE, CONSISTENTLY SHINING IS WARMTH AND ENERGY ONTO OUR PLANET EVERY 00:33.767 --> 00:36.169 align:left position:77.5% line:89% size:12.5% DAY OF THE YEAR FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS NOW 00:36.269 --> 00:41.241 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% BUT EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS AS BASIC AS A TUESDAY ICED COFFEE, OUR SUN IS ACTUALLY KIND OF A 00:41.341 --> 00:42.242 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% WEIRDO. 00:42.342 --> 00:43.376 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% LIKE, IN THE BEST WAY. 00:43.476 --> 00:46.112 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% FOR EXAMPLE: IT S NOT ACTUALLY YELLOW OR WHITE 00:46.212 --> 00:51.418 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% IF YOU LOOK AT THE SPECTRA COMING OFF THE SUN IT S ABOUT 5,800 KELVIN OR GREENISH-BLUE! 00:51.518 --> 00:56.990 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% WE THINK OF IT AS WHITE OR YELLOW BECAUSE OF HOW OUR EYES AND ATMOSPHERE SCATTER AND 00:57.090 --> 00:58.391 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5% PROCESS LIGHT 00:58.491 --> 01:01.394 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% HONESTLY THE SUN IS NOT EVEN THAT BRIGHT: I MEAN FOR A STAR. 01:01.494 --> 01:05.532 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% WHEN YOU ARE OUT AT NIGHT, ALL STARS YOU CAN SEE, ARE BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN. 01:05.632 --> 01:10.804 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% FROM ALPHA CENTAURI OUR SUN WOULD BE ABOUT AS BRIGHT AS RIGEL IN ORION APPEARS FROM EARTH. 01:10.904 --> 01:13.606 align:left position:77.5% line:89% size:12.5% BUT ALPHA C IS ONLY FOUR LIGHT-YEARS AWAY. 01:13.706 --> 01:19.913 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% RIGEL IS EIGHT-HUNDRED-SIXTY-FOUR LIGHT YEARS AWAY, AND THAT STAR IS FORTY SEVEN THOUSAND 01:20.013 --> 01:22.515 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75% TIMES BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN. 01:22.615 --> 01:24.584 align:left position:87.5% line:89% size:2.5% NOT TO SAY THE SUN ISN T POWERFUL! 01:24.684 --> 01:27.487 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% RIGHT NOW THE SUN IS AT A PERIOD OF VERY LOW ACTIVITY! 01:27.587 --> 01:29.089 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% WE RE IN A SOLAR MINIMUM! 01:29.189 --> 01:32.525 align:left position:75% line:89% size:15% BUT DURING A SOLAR MAXIMUM THE SUN IS NUTSO. 01:32.625 --> 01:37.697 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% EMITTING STRONGER MAGNETIC FIELDS, CREATING SOLAR STORMS AND SPACE WEATHER, AND OF COURSE 01:37.797 --> 01:42.902 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% PRODUCING POWERFUL EXPLOSIONS OF MATERIAL LIKE SOLAR FLARES AND CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS 01:43.002 --> 01:47.340 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% WHICH CAN CAUSE BLACKOUTS ON EARTH S POLES AND POSE A DANGER TO ASTRONAUTS AND SATELLITES 01:47.440 --> 01:48.341 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5% IN SPACE. 01:48.441 --> 01:50.944 align:left position:87.5% line:89% size:2.5% BREATHE IT S ALL PRETTY AMAZING. 01:51.044 --> 01:54.280 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% THIS IS WHY WE KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON OUR SUN AND TRACK THE SOLAR CYCLE. 01:54.380 --> 01:57.884 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% WE DO THIS BY COUNTING THE NUMBER OF SUNSPOTS ON THE SUN S SURFACE. 01:57.984 --> 02:02.222 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% FEWER SUNSPOTS, LESS SOLAR ACTIVITY; MORE SUNSPOTS, MORE ACTIVITY! 02:02.322 --> 02:06.960 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% SUNSPOTS AREN T ACTUALLY DARK THEY JUST APPEAR DARKER THAN THE SURROUNDING SOLAR ATMOSPHERE. 02:07.060 --> 02:11.898 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% BY COUNTING THE NUMBER OF SUNSPOTS, ASTRONOMERS WERE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE A PATTERN IN SOLAR 02:11.998 --> 02:16.970 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% ACTIVITY THAT COINCIDED WITH LOTS OF OTHER ATMOSPHERIC AND SOLAR PHENOMENA -- LIKE AURORA, 02:17.070 --> 02:19.739 align:left position:77.5% line:89% size:12.5% WHICH ARE STRONGEST DURING SOLAR MAXIMUMS. 02:19.839 --> 02:24.544 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% WE RE AT THE END OF THE 24TH SOLAR CYCLE SINCE WE STARTED KEEPING TRACK IN THE MID-1700S. 02:24.644 --> 02:29.616 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% WE VE ALREADY SPOTTED THE START OF CYCLE 25 -- AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL MAKE FOR SOME 02:29.716 --> 02:33.586 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% AMAZING ASTRONOMY FROM A AVERAGE, AMAZING STAR. 02:33.686 --> 02:37.686 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% KEEP LOOKIN UP!