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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"

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

Anticrepuscular Rays Over Wyoming

Anticrepuscular Rays Over Wyoming

21/02/2012

An Unusual Venusian Oval

An Unusual Venusian Oval

13/02/2012

At the Core of NGC 6752

At the Core of NGC 6752

10/02/2012

Trees, Stars, Aurora!

Video preview available on open
Video

09/02/2012

Enceladus Backlit by Saturn

Enceladus Backlit by Saturn

08/02/2012

The Belt of Venus Over Mercedes, Argentina

The Belt of Venus Over Mercedes, Argentina

07/02/2012

Lunation

Lunation

05/02/2012

Comet Garradd and M92

Comet Garradd and M92

04/02/2012

Days in the Sun

Days in the Sun

21/01/2012

Zodiacal Light and the False Dawn

Zodiacal Light and the False Dawn
Video

16/01/2012

Spot the Moon

Spot the Moon

02/01/2012

Comet Lovejoy and the ISS

Comet Lovejoy and the ISS

31/12/2011

Conjunction at Sunset

Conjunction at Sunset

29/12/2011

Comet Lovejoy over Paranal

Comet Lovejoy over Paranal

28/12/2011

A Raging Storm System on Saturn

A Raging Storm System on Saturn

26/12/2011

M1: The Crab Nebula from Hubble

M1: The Crab Nebula from Hubble

25/12/2011