Solar interior · ~0.7 R☉ to the surface
The Convection Zone
The outer third of the solar interior, where energy is carried by convection — hot plasma rises, cools, and sinks, like a pot of boiling water. This churning is visible at the surface as granulation and drives the magnetic activity of the Sun. It sits above the tachocline and below the photosphere.
Highlights
- ›Convection carries energy to the surface, driving activity
The Sun, its layers & phenomena
Across solar physics
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Tachocline
- Associated withThe Sun
- Associated withThe Tachocline
- Associated withThe Photosphere
- Associated withGranulation
- Associated withThe Photosphere
- Associated withGranulation
- Associated withDifferential Rotation
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.