Sun Facts
- The radius of the Sun is approximately 432,450 miles (696,000 kilometers). This is more than 100x the radius of Earth.
- The Sun is approximately 74% hydrogen, 24% helium, 1.5% carbon and a trace amount of other gases.
- The two gas giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, are also made up primarily of Hydrogen and Helium. This leads some astronomers to call them “failed stars”.
- The true color of the Sun is actually white, not yellow or orange, as it can appear to us from Earth.
- The gravity of the surface of the Sun is around 28x as powerful as the gravity of Earth.
- The name Sun, unlike the planets which are from Roman and Greek mythology, actually comes from old English.
- Like any other star, the Sun is made up primarily of hydrogen, with a less amount of helium. Between the two, it’s around 99% made from these two gases. ...
- The surface of the Sun is very hot, and on average is around 5,500°c.
- However, this is nowhere near as hot as the Sun gets in its center, where temperatures can be in excess of 15,000,000°c.
- We generally split the Sun’s atmosphere into four different parts; the heliosphere, the corona, the transition region and the chromosphere.
Full Answer
What are some interesting facts about the Sun?
Sun Facts
- The radius of the Sun is approximately 432,450 miles (696,000 kilometers). ...
- The Sun is approximately 74% hydrogen, 24% helium, 1.5% carbon and a trace amount of other gases.
- The two gas giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, are also made up primarily of Hydrogen and Helium. ...
What are some interesting things about the Sun?
More Facts about the Sun
- The Sun is actually a star. ...
- We classify the Sun as a G-type main sequence star, and a yellow dwarf star.
- Billions of years in the future, the Sun will actually grow to absorb Mercury, Venus and even our planet Earth.
- After this growth, the Sun will run out of hydrogen. ...
Is the Sun about 100 times bigger than the Earth?
The Sun is 864,400 miles (1,391,000 kilometers) across. This is about 109 times the diameter of Earth. The Sun weighs about 333,000 times as much as Earth. It is so large that about 1,300,000 planet Earths can fit inside of it. How big is the biggest star?
Why is the Sun considered a star?
Our Star: The Sun
- 3D Cutaway Model. The Sun’s visible surface, called the photosphere, radiates at about 5,500 degrees Celsius. ...
- Sun Wavelengths. These images are observations of the Sun in many wavelengths of light. ...
- Sunspots. The Sun usually displays a few dark splotches. ...
- Solar Flares and Eruptions. ...
What are 5 interesting facts about sun?
Here are more fun facts about the sun, provided by the NASA Science Space Place:The sun is a star. ... The sun is the closest star to our planet, which is why we see the sun so big and bright.The Earth orbits around the sun.The sun is way bigger than the Earth. ... It's hot!! ... The sun is 93 million miles away from the Earth.More items...•
What are 3 good things about the sun?
Here are seven great reasons to get outside and soak in the sun.Improves your sleep. Your body creates a hormone called melatonin that is critical to helping you sleep. ... Reduces stress. ... Maintains strong bones. ... Helps keep the weight off. ... Strengthens your immune system. ... Fights off depression. ... Can give you a longer life.
What is unique about the sun?
The sun is completely gaseous. There is no solid surface. The sun is composed of 74 percent hydrogen, 25 percent helium and 1 percent other gases. The sun is composed of several layers.
How big is the sun facts?
At about 864,000 miles (1.4 million kilometers) wide, the sun is 109 times wider than Earth, and it accounts for more than 99.8 percent of the solar system's total mass. If it was a hollow ball, more than a million Earths could fit inside it.
What are 10 fun facts about the sun?
Ten Interesting Facts About the SunThe Sun is the Solar System. ... And the Sun is mostly hydrogen and helium. ... The Sun is pretty bright. ... The Sun is huge, but tiny. ... The Sun is middle aged. ... The Sun has layers. ... The Sun is heating up, and will kill all life on Earth. ... Different parts of the Sun rotate at different speeds.More items...•
How did the sun get its name?
The word sun comes from the Old English word sunne, which itself comes from the older Proto-Germanic language's word sunnōn. In ancient times the Sun was widely seen as a god, and the name for Sun was the name of that god. Ancient Greeks called the Sun Helios, and this word is still used to describe the Sun today.
What's the Sun's real name?
The Sun has been called by many names. The Latin word for Sun is “sol,” which is the main adjective for all things Sun-related: solar. Helios, the Sun god in ancient Greek mythology, lends his name to many Sun-related terms as well, such as heliosphere and helioseismology.
How many Suns are there?
There Is Only One Sun The word “sun” is often used to describe many multitudes of stars in our galaxy and beyond, but doing so is a misnomer. The Sun is the name of our star, just as Sirius is the brightest star in Canis Major.
What is the most important fact of sun?
Fun Facts About the SunThe Sun accounts for 99.86% of the mass in the solar system. ... Over one million Earths could fit inside the Sun. ... One day the Sun will consume the Earth. ... The energy created by the Sun's core is nuclear fusion. ... The Sun is almost a perfect sphere.More items...
How hot is the sun?
5,778 KSun / Surface temperature
Does the sun move?
Yes, the Sun does move in space. The Sun and the entire Solar System revolve around the center of our own Galaxy - the Milky Way.
How long will the sun last?
five billion yearsBut don't worry. It still has about 5,000,000,000—five billion—years to go. When those five billion years are up, the Sun will become a red giant.
How big is the Sun?
The Sun is a main-sequence G2V star (or Yellow Dwarf). The Sun is 109 times wider than the Earth and 330,000 times as massive. The Sun’s surface area is 11,990 times that of the Earth’s. A hollow Sun would fit around 960,000 spherical Earths.
What is the Sun?
The Sun is the star at the centre of our solar system. It is an almost perfect sphere of super-hot gases whose gravity holds the solar system together. The energy produced by the Sun is essential for life on Earth and is a driving force behind the Earth’s weather.
What is the Sun's magnetic field?
The Sun has a very strong magnetic field. Magnetic energy released by the Sun during magnetic storms causes solar flares. We see these as sunspots. In sunspots, the magnetic lines twist and they spin, much like a tornado would on Earth. The Sun generates solar wind. The wind is a stream of charged particles.
How fast does solar wind travel?
This travels at approximately 450 kilometres per second through the solar system. Solar wind occurs when the magnetic field of the Sun extends into space. Sol is the Latin for Sun. This is where the word “solar” comes from, which is used to describe things that are derived from, related to, or caused by the Sun.
What happens when the Sun burns all its hydrogen?
The Sun will consume the Earth. When the Sun has burned all its Hydrogen, it will continue to burn helium for 130 million more years. During this time, it will expand to the point that it will engulf Mercury, Venus, and the Earth. At this stage it will have become a red giant.
How many Earths can fit in the Sun?
One million Earths could fit inside the Sun. A hollow Sun would fit around 960,000 spherical Earths. If squished inside with no wasted space, then around 1,300,000 would fit inside. The Sun’s surface area is 11,990 times that of the Earth’s. The Sun contains 99.86% of the mass in the Solar System.
Why are sunspots darker than surrounding areas?
Sunspots are areas of the Sun’s surface that appear darker than the surrounding areas, this is because they are cooler. They form in areas of strong magnetic activity that inhibit heat transfer.
How hot is the Sun?
The surface of the Sun is very hot, and on average is around 5,500°c. However, this is nowhere near as hot as the Sun gets in its center, where temperatures can be in excess of 15,000,000°c.
When was the Sun formed?
The Sun is the center of our entire solar system and has been since it was formed more than 4.6 billion years ago . However, we haven’t always known that the Sun was the center of our solar system. It wasn’t until the 16th Century with Copernicus’s “Heliocentric” model that it was accepted that the planets actually revolved around this giant star.
How powerful is the Sun's gravity?
The gravity of the surface of the Sun is around 28x as powerful as the gravity of Earth. The name Sun, unlike the planets which are from Roman and Greek mythology, actually comes from old English. Like any other star, the Sun is made up primarily of hydrogen, with a less amount of helium.
Why do planets orbit the Sun?
The main thing to understand about why the planets orbit the Sun is that they are still moving. If the Sun wasn’t there, they would be still be moving in a direction, like the objects out in the Oort cloud that aren’t as affected by the gravity of the Sun.
How long does it take for the Sun to rotate?
This means that different points on the Sun will actually rotate at different times and speeds. If we look at the Sun’s equator, this rotates fully every 24-25 days. But at the top and bottom of the Sun (the North and South pole), this can take 36 days to rotate fully.
What is the Sun made of?
The Sun is approximately 74% hydrogen, 24% helium, 1.5% carbon and a trace amount of other gases. The two gas giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, are also made up primarily of Hydrogen and Helium. This leads some astronomers to call them “failed stars”.
How long does it take light to travel from the Sun to Earth?
It takes approximately 499 seconds for light to travel all the way from the Sun to the Earth. We use the AU, or astronomical unit, measurement system when talking about distances in our galaxy. This is the distance between the Sun and Earth, around 93 million miles (150 million kilometers).
How big is the Sun?
The Sun is the largest object in our solar system, comprising 99.8% of the system’s mass. Though it seems huge to us, the Sun isn't as large as other types of stars. Earth orbits the Sun from a distance of about 93 million miles. The connection and interactions between the Sun and Earth drive our planet's seasons, ocean currents, weather, climate, ...
What cultures have the Sun inspired?
The Sun has inspired mythological stories in cultures around the world, including those of the ancient Egyptians, the Aztecs of Mexico, Native American tribes of North and South America, the Chinese, and many others.
How does the Sun generate electricity?
Electric currents in the Sun generate a magnetic field that is carried out through the solar system by the solar wind – a stream of electrically charged gas blowing outward from the Sun in all directions. The Sun is the largest object in our solar system, comprising 99.8% of the system’s mass.
What are some interesting facts about the Sun?
29 Brilliant Facts about the Sun. The sun is orbited by nine major planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth , Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (no longer an official planet). [8] Classified as a G2 dwarf due to its size, heat, and chemical makeup, the sun is a medium-sized star. A G star is cool (between 5,000-6,000 on ...
What happens to the sun every 11 years?
This is called “solar maximum.”. [2] Approximately every 11 years, the sun reverses its overall magnetic polarity: its north magnetic pole becomes a south pole, and vice versa. [6]
How much of the solar system is hydrogen?
The sun contains 99.85% of the mass in the solar system. [8] Scientists have determined that the sun will continue to burn hydrogen collected in its core for another five billion years or so, and then helium will become its primary fuel. [4]
How much hydrogen is in the Sun?
Four million tons of hydrogen are consumed by the sun every second, which helps to create the sun’s composition of 75 percent hydrogen, 23 percent helium, and 2 percent heavier elements. [9] The sun contains 99.85% of the mass in the solar system. [8]
What are solar flares?
Solar flares are jets of particles that burst from the sun and can disrupt satellite communications and knock out electricity on Earth . [4] The most powerful solar flare occurred on September 1,1859 and set telegraph wires on fire.
How often does the Sun rotate?
The sun rotates on its axis once every 25.38 Earth days or 609.12 hours. [3] A European illustration of the idol of Huitzilopochtli. In the Aztec religion, extensive human sacrifice was demanded by the sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. [5]
How far is the Sun from Earth?
The sun is the closest star to Earth and is 149.60 million kilometers (92.96 million miles) away. [3] At its core, the sun’s temperature is about 15 million degrees Celsius (about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit). [3] The sun rotates on its axis once every 25.38 Earth days or 609.12 hours. [3] A European illustration of the idol of Huitzilopochtli.
How many Earths can fit in the Sun?
It makes Earth look small, very small. In fact, 1.3 million Earths could fit inside the sun. 3 - The Sun’s mass is 333,000 times the mass of the Earth. 4 - The Sun is a ball of gas: it has no solid surface, unlike the Earth. Its density decreases exponentially with increasing distance from its centre.
What is the Sun made of?
26 - The Sun is composed of 92% hydrogen, 7% helium and 1% other gasses. Six ten-billionths of the Sun are made of gold! 27 - The atmosphere of the Sun has three parts: the photosphere, chromosphere and the solar corona. 28 - Near the sunspots, sudden bursts of brightness can appear called solar flares.
How many times has the Sun circled the Milky Way?
It takes the Sun approximately 250 million years to complete a cycle. So far, the Sun has circled the Milky Way 18 times over its lifetime. 23 - The Sun is 30,000 light years away from the centre of the Milky Wa y. 24 - The Sun is travelling at 220 kilometres per second.
What is the process of the Sun producing energy?
The Sun produces energy that supports all life through a process known as photosynthesis. 46 - There is a bubble surrounding the sun and the solar system called the heliosphere. 47 - The study of the interior of the Sun is known as helioseismology.
How long does it take for the Sun to reach its surface?
16 - The heat and light released from the core of the Sun (initially as gamma rays) takes approximately one million years to reach its surface. 17 - As well as heat and light, the Sun also produces a low-density stream of charged particles which we call the solar wind.
How far is the Sun from Earth?
8 - The sun remains an average distance of 150 million kilometres from the Earth. This is 391 times further away than the moon. 9 - The sun’s light takes 8 minutes to reach Earth. 10 - The Sun is 99.86% of the Solar System’s mass and it has roughly 330,000 times more mass than the Earth.
How much energy does a solar flare release?
30 - The amount of energy released by a solar flare is equivalent to an explosion of millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs. This is ten million times greater than the energy released during a volcanic explosion but less than a tenth of the total energy emitted by the sun every second.
How big is the Sun?
The Sun has a diameter of around 1.39 million kilometers / 864,000 miles. This is 109 times greater than the diameter of our planet. The Sun’s mass consists of 73% hydrogen, 25% helium, and smaller amounts of oxygen, carbon, neon, iron, and other elements. The Sun is so massive that it accounts for 99.86% of the total mass ...
What is the Sun for kids?
The Sun Facts for Kids. The Sun is a star, the only one we can see during the daytime. When we look in the night sky, we see endless dots of light, every one of them is a star just like our Sun.
What happens to the Sun when it burns helium?
When the Sun will exhaust its hydrogen supplies, it will start to burn its helium supplies. During this period, the Sun will expand and engulf Earth. At this stage, our Sun will become a red giant type of star .
How much of the Sun's mass is hydrogen?
The Sun is so massive that it accounts for 99.86% of the total mass of the entire Solar System. The Sun currently fuses around 600 million tons of hydrogen into helium every second. It is converting 4 million tons of matter into energy every second as a result. This energy is the source of the Sun’s light and heat.
How often does the Sun spin?
Though there are billions of stars in the galaxy, our Sun will always be the most special star. The Sun spins once every 25 days, but at its poles, it rotates once every 35 days.
How long will the Sun last before it becomes a white dwarf?
Scientists believe that the Sun is already at around halfway through its lifetime and will last for another 5 billion years before it will shrink down to become a white dwarf star.
How long does it take for the Sun to heat up?
This energy is the source of the Sun’s light and heat. It can take between 10,000 and 170,000 years for this energy to escape from the Sun’s core. Every star is classified based upon their physical characteristics. Our Sun is labeled as a G-type main-sequence star or G2V. The Sun is approximately 4.6 billion years old.