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Astronaut
A person traveling in space
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Aurora
Bright colorful lights formed by action of solar wind particles with the Earth's magnetosphere exciting gas molecules in the air
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Corona
The Sun's atmosphere
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Coronal Mass Ejections
The gigantic plasma eruptions from the Sun's corona
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Convection Zone
Part of the Sun where plasma moves up and down like water in a boiling pot
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Cycle
A pattern
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Magnetosphere
Area around the Earth where magnetic field lines control the movement of charged particles
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Photon
Packet of light energy
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Photosphere
The visible part of the Sun
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Plasma
A fourth state of matter made up of positively charged particles and negatively charged electrons
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Satellite
A free-flying object that orbits the Earth
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Solar Flare
An explosive release of energy from the Sun
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Solar Maximum
Time period of an increase in Sun activity (energy release)
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Solar Minimum
Time period of a decrease in Sun activity
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Solar Wind
A constant flow of plasma expanding from the corona into interplanetary space
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Star
A celestial object that produces energy from nuclear fusion reactions occurring in its core
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Sunspot
A region on the Sun's surface that is darker and cooler than the surrounding region. It has a very active magnetic field
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