Sun
Distance from Earth:
About 150 Million Kilometers (93 Million Miles)
Distance from Milky way Center:
Est. 26,000 - 28,000 Light Years
Diameter:
About 1.4 million kilometers (870,000 miles)
Rotation Duration and Speed
Once every 25 - 27 days at 1,669.8 km/h
Surface Temperature:
Est. 5,500 - 5,800 Degree Celsius
Surface Gravity:
About 274 m/s²
Source of Light for Life
The Sun is our nearest star located at the center of the solar system. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything – from the biggest planets to the smallest particles of debris – in its orbit. It provides light and heat for life on Earth.
Without the Sun, a catastrophic event would happen to Earth and all life on it. Here are some of the things that would happen.
- The Earth would become very cold to a point of freezing...
- All plants and vegetation would gradually die...
- Earth's atmosphere would collapse, exposing it to harmful space radiations...
- The Earth would drift out of the solar system aimlessly into deep space...
The sun plays a very crucial role in life support on planet Earth. In short, everything we depend on from the Sun would lost if we lose the Sun. But don’t worry, nothing is going to happen to the Sun. Do you know why we are saying that? We have explained it below.
The data above are facts about the Sun. Including the distance from Earth and the Milky Way’s center, its diameter, rotation duration and speed, surface temperature and surface gravity.
A Giant Nuclear Reactor...
Providing unlimited energy for billions of years, or even forever.
1. In every second, the sun radiates immense amounts of energy which has the power equivalent to the explosion of billions of hydrogen bombs (nuclear weapons) every single second.
This immense energy production is fueled by a process called nuclear fusion, which occurs deep within the Sun’s core.
2. At its core, the Sun’s temperature reaches a staggering 15 million degrees Celsius, creating an environment where hydrogen atoms can collide and fuse together.
During this process, four hydrogen atoms combine to form a single helium atom, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the form of photons.
3. This fusion process is the mechanism that powers the Sun, providing the energy that sustains life on Earth. The Sun’s energy drives photosynthesis in plants, which in turn forms the basis of the food chain. It also regulates the Earth’s climate and provides warmth and light that are essential for life.
4. The Sun’s nuclear reactor is incredibly wonderful and efficient. It can generate unlimited energy forever without finishing or damaging, by converting about 600 million tons of hydrogen into helium every single second.
This process has been ongoing for billions of years and is expected to continue for billions more, or even forever, ensuring a steady source of energy for our planet (Earth).
On July 19, 2012, million-degree plasma in the Sun’s atmosphere began to cool and fall to the surface, resulting in a dazzling magnetic display known as coronal rain.
Solar Flare
Solar Flares or Solar Storm is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the sun due to its internal fusion reactor. Sometimes, the force from the explosions of the fusion is so high that some hot gases escape the surface gravitational pull of the sun and burst out into space. That hot gas is called a solar storm or solar flare.
This phenomenon creates another phenomenon called the Aurora Borealis. The video below explains both in detail.
Sun Compared to Earth
Earth is that dot in the picture, right below the text “Earth”. The sun is so huge that, about 1.3 million Earths can fit in it perfectly.
The Sun’s diameter is approximately 109 times larger than Earth’s. The Sun’s diameter measures about 864,938 miles (1,391,000 kilometers), while Earth’s diameter is about 7,917.5 miles (12,742 kilometers).
Frequently asked Questions about the Sun
Yes.
The Sun rotates on its axis once in about 25 to 27 days. This rotation is detected by observing the motion of sunspots.
Yes.
In fact, our whole solar system orbits around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. We are moving at an average velocity of 828,000 km/hr. But even at that high rate, it still takes us about 230 million years to make one complete orbit around the Milky Way!
It won’t.
The Sun is a gigantic nuclear fusion reactor, but it doesn’t explode in space because two opposing forces are in balance within the Sun: the inward force of gravity and the outward pressure of nuclear fusion.
Gravity is the force that pulls all matter together. The Sun’s immense gravity pulls its immense mass inward, creating tremendous pressure at its core.
We won’t lose the Sun.
The Sun’s nuclear reaction process which keeps it alive has been going on for billions of years and is expected to continue for billions more, or even forever.
This is because it supports an enormous amount of precious life on planet Earth. There’s no way The Creator of the Sun will allow such precious creations to be destroyed.
Visit our heliophysics page for the answer. Go there.