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- VIRGO
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- The Sun is hotter at the transition zone than expected.
- In this picture in red coloured layers, sound travels faster than predicted by the theories, implying that the temperature
- is higher than expected. The conspicuous red layer, about a third of the way down from the surface to the Sun's centre,
- suggests unexpectedly high temperatures at the transition zone between the turbulent outer region (convection zone)
- and more stable region inside it (radiation zone).
- The Sun's core seems to be cooler than expected.
- In blue coloured layers the sound speed is lower than expected, and temperatures are probably lower too. Most notable
- in this respect is the very core of the Sun, where VIRGO suggests that the temperature may be 0.1 per cent cooler than
- the expected 15 million degrees C. This may cause the Sun to vary its power-generation over long periods.
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