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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"

Live: Watching for Venus to Cross the Sun

Live: Watching for Venus to Cross the Sun

05/06/2012

A Picturesque Venus Transit

A Picturesque Venus Transit

03/06/2012

Looking Back at an Eclipsed Earth

Looking Back at an Eclipsed Earth

30/05/2012

Sentinels of the Arctic

Sentinels of the Arctic

29/05/2012

Contemplating the Sun

Contemplating the Sun

28/05/2012

Mercury Spotting

Mercury Spotting

27/05/2012

A Partial Solar Eclipse over Texas

A Partial Solar Eclipse over Texas

22/05/2012

A Partial Eclipse Over Manila Bay

A Partial Eclipse Over Manila Bay

20/05/2012

Annular Solar Eclipse

Annular Solar Eclipse

19/05/2012

Sun vs. Super Moon

Sun vs. Super Moon

11/05/2012

Full Moonrise

Full Moonrise

05/05/2012

Fermi Epicycles: The Vela Pulsar's Path

Fermi Epicycles: The Vela Pulsar's Path

04/05/2012

Aurora Over Raufarh�fn

Aurora Over Raufarh�fn

30/04/2012

Morning, Moon, and Mercury

Morning, Moon, and Mercury

26/04/2012

A Dust Devil of Mars

A Dust Devil of Mars

13/04/2012

Venus and the Sisters

Venus and the Sisters

06/04/2012

Zodiacal Light Panorama

Zodiacal Light Panorama

05/04/2012

Centaurus A

Centaurus A

04/04/2012

Earthshine and Venus Over Sierra de Guadarrama

Earthshine and Venus Over Sierra de Guadarrama

28/03/2012

Messier 9 Close-up

Messier 9 Close-up

23/03/2012

Aurora Over Iceland

Aurora Over Iceland

21/03/2012

Sunspot Group 1429 and the Distant Sun

Sunspot Group 1429 and the Distant Sun

19/03/2012

Jupiter and Venus from Earth

Jupiter and Venus from Earth

18/03/2012

Bright Planets at McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope

Bright Planets at McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope

16/03/2012

Solar Flare in the Gamma-ray Sky

Solar Flare in the Gamma-ray Sky

15/03/2012

Angry Sun Erupting

Angry Sun Erupting

14/03/2012

Flying Over the Earth at Night

Flying Over the Earth at Night
Video

05/03/2012

Another Tail for Comet Garradd

Another Tail for Comet Garradd

03/03/2012

The Opposing Tails of Comet Garradd

The Opposing Tails of Comet Garradd

28/02/2012

A Zodiacal Skyscape

A Zodiacal Skyscape

23/02/2012