What does the solar atmosphere consist of?

The solar atmosphere is composed of three distinct layers: the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona.

The photosphere is the visible surface of the Sun, where sunlight is emitted. It has a temperature of about 5,500 degrees Celsius and is the layer we typically associate with the Sun's light. Above the photosphere is the chromosphere, a thin layer that appears as a reddish glow during solar eclipses. The chromosphere is where solar activity, including solar flares and prominences, occurs, and its temperature rises to tens of thousands of degrees Celsius.

The outermost layer is the corona, which extends millions of kilometers into space and has temperatures that can reach several million degrees Celsius. The corona is much less dense than the other layers but is significant for solar phenomena like solar wind and coronal mass ejections, which can impact space weather and satellite operations on Earth.

The other options refer to layers or components that are not part of the solar atmosphere. For instance, the ozone layer and thermosphere are elements of Earth's atmosphere, while the magnetosphere pertains to the magnetic field surrounding a celestial body and its interaction with charged particles. Stratosphere and troposphere are also layers of Earth's atmosphere, unrelated to the solar atmosphere.