The Sun observed through a telescope with an H-alpha filter

For reasons not fully understood the temperature of the chromosphere is hotter than that of the photosphere. The photosphere is closer to the surface of the sun and its temperature is around 4000K to 6400K but the chromosphere is about 4500K to as high as 20,000K.^[1][2] One theory is that sonic turbulence is the source of this higher temperature.

Without special equipment the chromosphere cannot normally be seen due to its being washed out by the overwhelming brightness of the photosphere. It can be seen clearly through special narrow-band optical filters tuned to the H-alpha spectral line, and many observatories routinely observe the chromosphere using this technique, which displays filaments quite clearly. Filaments (and prominences, which are filaments viewed from the side) are the source of many coronal mass ejections and hence are important to prediction of space weather.

Photo taken by Luc Viatour during the total eclipse of 1999

The most common solar feature within the chromosphere are spicules, long thin fingers of luminous gas which appear like the blades of a huge field of fiery grass growing upwards from the photosphere below. Spicules rise to the top of the chromosphere and then sink back down again over the course of about 10 minutes.

Another feature found in the chromosphere are fibrils, horizontal wisps of gas similar in extent to spicules but with about twice the duration.

Finally, solar prominences rise up through the chromosphere from the photosphere, sometimes reaching altitudes of 150,000 kilometers. These gigantic plumes of gas are the most spectacular of solar phenomena, aside from the less frequent solar flares.

Above the chromosphere of some stars there is a so-called transition region, where the temperature increases rapidly to the hot corona, which forms the outermost part of the atmosphere.

See the flash spectrum of the solar chromosphere (Eclipse of March 7, 1970).

References

1. ↑ The Sun - Introduction
2. ↑ World Book at NASA - Sun