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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"

Pillar at Sunset

Pillar at Sunset

06/03/2010

Chasing Carina

Chasing Carina

26/02/2010

Exceptional Rocket Waves Destroy Sun Dog

Exceptional Rocket Waves Destroy Sun Dog

23/02/2010

NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf

NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf

21/02/2010

Vesta Near Opposition

Vesta Near Opposition

18/02/2010

Cassini Spacecraft Crosses Saturn's Ring Plane

Cassini Spacecraft Crosses Saturn's Ring Plane

15/02/2010

A Sun Halo Over Cambodia

A Sun Halo Over Cambodia

08/02/2010

The Mysterious Voynich Manuscript

The Mysterious Voynich Manuscript

31/01/2010

Mars Opposition 2010

Mars Opposition 2010

29/01/2010

Annular Eclipse Over Myanmar

Annular Eclipse Over Myanmar

26/01/2010

Millennium Annular Solar Eclipse

Millennium Annular Solar Eclipse

22/01/2010

Eclipse over the Temple of Poseidon

Eclipse over the Temple of Poseidon

18/01/2010

New Year Sungrazer

New Year Sungrazer

16/01/2010

The Spotty Surface of Betelgeuse

The Spotty Surface of Betelgeuse

06/01/2010

Comet Halley's Nucleus: An Orbiting Iceberg

Comet Halley's Nucleus: An Orbiting Iceberg

04/01/2010

December Sunrise, Cape Sounion

December Sunrise, Cape Sounion

23/12/2009

Tutulemma: Solar Eclipse Analemma

Tutulemma: Solar Eclipse Analemma

20/12/2009

A Fading Moonset Over Hong Kong

A Fading Moonset Over Hong Kong

15/12/2009

Crescent Neptune and Triton

Crescent Neptune and Triton

13/12/2009

The Double Cluster

The Double Cluster

04/12/2009

Bright Sun and Crescent Earth from the Space Station

Bright Sun and Crescent Earth from the Space Station

30/11/2009

DIA Sunrise

DIA Sunrise

14/11/2009

Young Stars in the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud

Young Stars in the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud

13/11/2009

Great Observatories Explore Galactic Center

Great Observatories Explore Galactic Center

11/11/2009

Saturn After Equinox

Saturn After Equinox

10/11/2009

Blue Sun Bristling

Blue Sun Bristling

04/11/2009

Zodiacal Light Over Laguna Verde

Zodiacal Light Over Laguna Verde

29/10/2009

A Solar Prominence Erupts in STEREO

A Solar Prominence Erupts in STEREO

20/10/2009

Target Crater Cabeus

Target Crater Cabeus

08/10/2009

Comet and Orion

Comet and Orion

02/10/2009