Back to Glossary

The Sun

The Sun is a yellow dwarf star (G2V), about 4.6 billion years old, and the dominant gravitational force in the Solar System. It has a diameter of roughly 1.4 million kilometers and contains around 99.8% of the Solar System’s mass. Nuclear fusion in its core converts hydrogen into helium, producing energy that warms the planets. Above the core lie the radiative and convective zones, followed by the visible photosphere (~5,500 °C), the chromosphere, and the much hotter corona (~2 million °C).

Source: science.nasa.gov

APODs including "The Sun"

A Collision of Galaxy Clusters

A Collision of Galaxy Clusters

21/05/2026

Moon Setting Behind Teide Volcano

Moon Setting Behind Teide Volcano
Video

11/05/2026

Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion

Comet R3 PanSTARRS and Orion

10/05/2026

The Retrograde Dance of Saturn and Neptune

The Retrograde Dance of Saturn and Neptune

06/05/2026

Comet R3 PanSTARRS Behind Satellite Trails

Comet R3 PanSTARRS Behind Satellite Trails

27/04/2026

The Persistence of Sunlight

The Persistence of Sunlight

25/04/2026

Earthset with an iPhone

Earthset with an iPhone
Video

22/04/2026

Comet R3 PanSTARRS over a Himalayan Valley

Comet R3 PanSTARRS over a Himalayan Valley

20/04/2026

The ISS Transits the Moon

The ISS Transits the Moon

15/04/2026

The Long Wispy Tail of Comet R3 (PanSTARRS)

The Long Wispy Tail of Comet R3 (PanSTARRS)

14/04/2026

Comet R3 (PanSTARRS) Brightens

Comet R3 (PanSTARRS) Brightens

12/04/2026

Destruction of Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS)

Video preview available on open
Video

09/04/2026

The Path of Artemis II

Video preview available on open
Video

06/04/2026

Hello World

Hello World

04/04/2026

The Claw and Bubble Nebulae

The Claw and Bubble Nebulae

01/04/2026

Light Pillars and Orion over Mohe

Light Pillars and Orion over Mohe

23/03/2026

Leaving Earth

Video preview available on open
Video

22/03/2026

Spring Equinox at Teide Observatory

Spring Equinox at Teide Observatory

20/03/2026

CG 4: The Globule and the Galaxy

CG 4: The Globule and the Galaxy

11/03/2026

Two Eclipses of Saros 133

Two Eclipses of Saros 133

07/03/2026

The Astrosphere of HD 61005

The Astrosphere of HD 61005

06/03/2026

The Moon During a Total Lunar Eclipse

Video preview available on open
Video

01/03/2026

The Egg Nebula from the Hubble Telescope

The Egg Nebula from the Hubble Telescope

25/02/2026

Planet Parade over Sydney Opera House

Planet Parade over Sydney Opera House

24/02/2026

Shadow of a Martian Robot

Shadow of a Martian Robot

22/02/2026

Twilight with Moon and Planets

Twilight with Moon and Planets

21/02/2026

Tails of Comet Wierzchoś

Tails of Comet Wierzchoś

17/02/2026

Roses are Red

Roses are Red

14/02/2026

Active Sunspot Region 4366 Crosses the Sun

Active Sunspot Region 4366 Crosses the Sun

08/02/2026

Crescent Enceladus

Crescent Enceladus

07/02/2026