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Glossary term: Soleil

Description: Le Soleil est l'étoile la plus proche de la Terre. Pour les astronomes, il s'agit d'une étoile de type "G2V". Cette désignation signifie que le Soleil est encore dans sa prèmiere phase, plutôt stable, avec une température de surface ("température effective") de 5800 kelvins, qui lui donne sa couleur caractéristique. La luminosité des étoiles varie de plus de 1000 fois celle du Soleil à environ 1000 fois plus faible, mais les plus brillantes sont relativement rares : le Soleil est plus brillant (et plus lourd) que la plupart (peut-être quelque 85 %) des étoiles de la Galaxie.

Pour les astronomes, le Soleil est intéressant parce qu'en raison de sa proximité, sa surface peut être observée de manière plus détaillée, ce qui permet d'étudier des structures et des phénomènes. Par exemple, l'activité solaire, qui est liée aux champs magnétiques du Soleil : taches solaires (zones plus froides), éruptions (éclairs lumineux de courte durée) et même éjections de masse coronale (particules chargées électriquement projetées par le Soleil). Les physiciens ont également détecté des particules élémentaires connues sous le nom de neutrinos provenant du noyau du Soleil, ce qui constitue une preuve directe des processus de fusion nucléaire. L'élément hélium a été détecté pour la première fois dans le spectre solaire, d'où son nom, qui vient d'Hélios (le dieu du Soleil dans la mythologie grecque).

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Term and definition status: The original definition of this term in English have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher
The translation of this term and its definition is still awaiting approval

The OAE Multilingual Glossary is a project of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) in collaboration with the IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (OAO). The terms and definitions were chosen, written and reviewed by a collective effort from the OAE, the OAE Centers and Nodes, the OAE National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs) and other volunteers. You can find a full list of credits here. All glossary terms and their definitions are released under a Creative Commons CC BY-4.0 license and should be credited to "IAU OAE".

Related Media


Le Soleil, entouré de plusieurs cercles et arcs lumineux, au-dessus d'un paysage enneigé et bordé d'arbres.

Halo d'hiver, par Thomas Gigl, Allemagne

Caption: Deuxième place au concours d'astrophotographie 2021 de l'UAI OAE, catégorie halos Soleil/Lune. Photographiée à Jochberg, dans la célèbre région de ski autrichienne du Tyrol, cette image montre de multiples caractéristiques liées aux halos de glace, qui sont plus fréquents autour du Soleil, en raison de sa luminosité, qu'autour de la Lune. La réflexion externe et interne des rayons solaires sur les faces des cristaux de glace et à l'intérieur des différents types de cristaux de glace entraîne ces phénomènes liés aux halos. Le halo de 22° entoure le Soleil, avec deux points lumineux en bordure appelés Sundogs, Parhelia ou Mock Suns observés à gauche et à droite à la même hauteur que le Soleil. La bande blanche horizontale appelée cercle parhélique, du nom du dieu du Soleil Hélios, passe par le Soleil et les Sundogs à la même élévation angulaire. Un arc tangent supérieur, un arc de parade en forme d'enclume et un arc tangent inférieur sont aussi vus touchant également le haut et le bas du halo de 22°. Un arc de type arc-en-ciel inversé ou l'arc circumzénithal est vu touchant l'arc supralatéral brillant, les deux étant moins fréquemment observés.
Credit: Thomas Gigl/IAU OAE

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons


Image montrant des groupes de taches solaires sous forme de taches sombres situées au-dessus et au-dessous de l'équateur du Soleil.

Taches solaires

Caption: Sur cette image, le Soleil est parsemé de groupes de taches solaires pendant près de neuf jours entre juillet et août 2012. Les taches solaires visibles sur cette image sont à l'origine des éruptions solaires et des éjections de masse coronale (CME). Sur cette image en particulier, le Soleil approche du maximum solaire de son cycle (cycle solaire), où l'on voit de nombreuses taches se former le long de l'équateur du Soleil. Ces taches et cette activité sont visibles dans l'hémisphère sud, alors qu'auparavant, l'essentiel de l'activité se situait dans l'hémisphère nord.
Credit: NASA/SDO/HMI credit link

License: PD Public Domain icons


Le Soleil dans l'ultraviolet apparaît comme un cercle. L'éruption est une tache brillante en haut à droite, à 3/4 de la distance du centre.

Éruption solaire

Caption: Cette image montre une éruption solaire de niveau moyen, observée en mars 2022 par l'Observatoire de la dynamique solaire (SDO). Le SDO observe l'activité du Soleil, il montre donc les régions du Soleil où il y a de l'activité. Cette éruption est de classe M, ce qui signifie qu'elle est dix fois moins importante que les éruptions les plus intenses, c'est-à-dire les éruptions X. Les éruptions solaires sont à peine visibles à l'œil nu, d'où l'intérêt du SDO. L'image ici, est prise dans l'ultraviolet extrême qui a été colorée en rouge par le SDO, l'éruption apparaît dans la partie supérieure du disque solaire.
Credit: NASA/SDO credit link

License: PD Public Domain icons

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