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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"

Moon Shadow Sequence

Moon Shadow Sequence

16/11/2012

Solar Eclipse over Queensland

Solar Eclipse over Queensland

15/11/2012

A Solar Eclipse Quilt

A Solar Eclipse Quilt

13/11/2012

Baily's Beads near Solar Eclipse Totality

Baily's Beads near Solar Eclipse Totality

11/11/2012

The Black Hole in the Milky Way

The Black Hole in the Milky Way

02/11/2012

A Halo for NGC 6164

A Halo for NGC 6164

27/10/2012

The Medusa Nebula

The Medusa Nebula

25/10/2012

A View from Next Door

A View from Next Door

18/10/2012

Black Sun and Inverted Starfield

Black Sun and Inverted Starfield

15/10/2012

At the Heart of Orion

At the Heart of Orion

06/10/2012

Introducing Comet ISON

Introducing Comet ISON

01/10/2012

Equinox: The Sun from Solstice to Solstice

Equinox: The Sun from Solstice to Solstice

23/09/2012

Austrian Analemma

Austrian Analemma

22/09/2012

September's Aurora

September's Aurora

21/09/2012

Sunrise Analemma (with a little extra)

Sunrise Analemma (with a little extra)

20/09/2012

Orbiting Astronaut Self-Portrait

Orbiting Astronaut Self-Portrait

18/09/2012

A Solar Filament Erupts

A Solar Filament Erupts

17/09/2012

Cosmic Rays at Voyager 1

Cosmic Rays at Voyager 1

08/09/2012

Airglow over Italy

Airglow over Italy

06/09/2012

Airglow Over Germany

Airglow Over Germany

05/09/2012

Clouds Near the Edge of Space

Clouds Near the Edge of Space

22/08/2012

A Filament Across the Sun

A Filament Across the Sun

20/08/2012

NGC 6888: The Crescent Nebula

NGC 6888: The Crescent Nebula

16/08/2012

Perseid Below

Perseid Below

10/08/2012

Mars in the Loop

Mars in the Loop

09/08/2012

A Wheel on Mars

A Wheel on Mars

07/08/2012

The Bubble Nebula

The Bubble Nebula

04/08/2012

South Pole Star Trails

South Pole Star Trails

02/08/2012

Pink Aurora Over Crater Lake

Pink Aurora Over Crater Lake

25/07/2012

Moon Meets Jupiter

Moon Meets Jupiter

20/07/2012