The Sun: Our Life-Giving Star

  1. The Sun is about 4.6 billion years old and is currently in its middle age.
  2. It contains more than 99.8 percent of the total mass of our solar system.
  3. The Sun’s core reaches temperatures of around 27 million degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Energy produced in the core can take over 100,000 years to reach the surface.
  5. Sunlight takes just 8 minutes and 20 seconds to travel from the Sun to Earth.
  6. The Sun’s surface, called the photosphere, is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. Giant magnetic storms create sunspots that appear as dark patches on the surface.
  8. Solar flares release bursts of radiation powerful enough to disrupt communications on Earth.
  9. Without the Sun’s gravity, the planets would drift into space instead of orbiting.
  10. The Sun will eventually expand into a red giant, engulfing Mercury and Venus.