What texture characterizes the Sun's visible surface, the photosphere, upon close inspection?
Answer
Granular texture
The visible surface layer of the Sun, known as the photosphere, does not appear smooth when viewed closely via spacecraft or detailed imaging. Instead, it displays a distinct granular texture. This texture resembles a vast expanse of boiling oatmeal, where the material involved is superheated gas rather than water. These granules are manifestation of convection cells. Hot material rises from the interior, spreads out at the visible surface, cools slightly, and then sinks back down through the darker lanes that separate the bright patches. A single one of these features is immense, spanning hundreds of miles across.
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