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Which layer of the Sun is visible from Earth in ordinary light?
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Joshua trees at sunset, Joshua Tree National Park, southern California, U.S.
The layer of the Sun that is visible from Earth in ordinary light is the photosphere.
Often referred to as the visible surface of the Sun, the photosphere is the region from which most of the light reaching Earth is emitted. It is approximately 400 km (250 miles) thick and serves as the layer above which most photons escape into space. While it appears to have a sharp edge to the naked eye, the Sun does not have a solid surface; rather, the photosphere consists of hot plasma where the density is low enough for light to travel outward.1