I was reading some information about the Sun and I came across something that confused me. (I am only listing the portion I found confusing.) The diagram/explanation of each layer of the sun gave these stats. Radiative, 5,000,000 K; Convection, 5,800 K; Photosphere, 4,400 K - 6,600 K; Chromosphere, 30,000 K.

How does the temperature go from hot to cooler and back to hotter again? Why are the outter temperatures so much hotter than the "middle" regions?

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Calvin: Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak.
Hobbes: Probably so we can think twice.

~Calvin & Hobbes~

It's still a bit of a mystery, but there are a few theories floating around.

Here is a short answer.

This has a little more.

It's been a while since I've seen anything new on this phenomenon, but it is quite interesting.

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"A mystic is a person who is puzzled before the obvious but who understands the nonexistent." -- Elbert Hubbard

Wait until you try to find the magnetic poles. #-o If you think that one is hard check out the actual rotation.

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My initials are on the moon, my name is on Mars and Earth is my planet of origin.

Here's an interesting graphic about the Earth's own atmospheric regions, and how temperature varies within them.