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"

Equinox in the Sky

Equinox in the Sky

22/09/2020

Omega Sunrise

Omega Sunrise

21/09/2020

Biomarker Phosphine Discovered in the Atmosphere of Venus

Biomarker Phosphine Discovered in the Atmosphere of Venus

15/09/2020

The Reappearance of Mars

The Reappearance of Mars

11/09/2020

The Milky Way over St Michael's Mount

The Milky Way over St Michael's Mount

07/09/2020

M1: The Crab Nebula from Hubble

M1: The Crab Nebula from Hubble

06/09/2020

Jupiter and the Moons

Jupiter and the Moons

02/09/2020

Martian Chiaroscuro

Martian Chiaroscuro

29/08/2020

Crescent Moon HDR

Crescent Moon HDR

24/08/2020

The Helix Nebula from Blanco and Hubble

The Helix Nebula from Blanco and Hubble

23/08/2020

Yogi And Friends In 3D

Yogi And Friends In 3D

22/08/2020

The Sun Rotating

The Sun Rotating
Video

19/08/2020

The Shifting Tails of Comet NEOWISE

The Shifting Tails of Comet NEOWISE

12/08/2020

Crescent Saturn

Crescent Saturn

08/08/2020

Picture Rocks Sun Dagger

Picture Rocks Sun Dagger
Video

05/08/2020

Two Worlds, One Sun

Two Worlds, One Sun

02/08/2020

The Giants of Summer

The Giants of Summer

29/07/2020

The Structured Tails of Comet NEOWISE

The Structured Tails of Comet NEOWISE

22/07/2020

Comet NEOWISE and Nebulae

Comet NEOWISE and Nebulae

20/07/2020

NEOWISE of the North

NEOWISE of the North

17/07/2020

The Long Tails of Comet NEOWISE

The Long Tails of Comet NEOWISE

16/07/2020

Comet NEOWISE over Stonehenge

Comet NEOWISE over Stonehenge

14/07/2020

Comet NEOWISE Rising over the Adriatic Sea

Comet NEOWISE Rising over the Adriatic Sea
Video

13/07/2020

Comet CG Creates Its Dust Tail

Comet CG Creates Its Dust Tail

12/07/2020

The Tails of Comet NEOWISE

The Tails of Comet NEOWISE

11/07/2020

Comet NEOWISE from the ISS

Comet NEOWISE from the ISS

10/07/2020

Mercury's Sodium Tail

Mercury's Sodium Tail

08/07/2020

Comet NEOWISE over Lebanon

Comet NEOWISE over Lebanon

07/07/2020

M43: Dust, Gas, and Stars in the Orion Nebula

M43: Dust, Gas, and Stars in the Orion Nebula

06/07/2020

Meeting in the Mesosphere

Meeting in the Mesosphere

04/07/2020