The Solar System - Word Search - PUZZLE #1 THE SUN - August 2025

PUZZLE #1 - THE SUN 

IN-CONTEXT WORD DEFINITIONS

Star: The Sun is a star, a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. It generates energy through nuclear fusion at its core and is the central object in our solar system.

Fusion: Fusion refers to the process in the Sun’s core where hydrogen atoms combine to form helium, releasing enormous amounts of energy in the form of light and heat.

Convective: The convective zone is the outer layer of the Sun’s interior where hot plasma rises, cools at the surface, and sinks again, transferring energy by convection currents.

Photosphere: The photosphere is the visible surface of the Sun from which sunlight is emitted. It's where the light we see originates, with a temperature of about 5,500°C (9,932°F).

Corona: The corona is the Sun’s outer atmosphere, visible during total solar eclipses as a white halo. It is extremely hot (millions of degrees) and the source of the solar wind.

Sunspots: Sunspots are cooler, darker areas on the Sun’s photosphere caused by intense magnetic activity that inhibits convection. They often appear in pairs or groups.

Flares: Solar flares are sudden, intense bursts of radiation and energy from the Sun’s surface, usually near sunspots, caused by magnetic energy being released.

Prominence: A prominence is a large, bright loop or arch of plasma extending from the Sun’s surface, often associated with sunspot regions and anchored to the photosphere.

Solar Wind: The solar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles (plasma) released from the corona, flowing outward through the solar system and influencing planetary magnetospheres.

Secret Word: This is the fourth state of matter and makes up the Sun. It’s a hot, electrically charged gas consisting of free electrons and ions, present throughout the Sun's interior and atmosphere.