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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"

Mercury and Venus in the West

Mercury and Venus in the West

02/04/2004

A Prominent Solar Prominence from SOHO

A Prominent Solar Prominence from SOHO

30/03/2004

Stars and the Bubble Nebula

Stars and the Bubble Nebula

28/03/2004

A Green Flash from the Sun

A Green Flash from the Sun

21/03/2004

Equinox + 1

Equinox + 1

20/03/2004

Sedna of the Outer Solar System

Sedna of the Outer Solar System

16/03/2004

X-Ray Saturn

X-Ray Saturn

12/03/2004

Moon and Venus over Corona Del Mar Beach

Moon and Venus over Corona Del Mar Beach

08/03/2004

V838 Mon: Echoes from the Edge

V838 Mon: Echoes from the Edge

05/03/2004

Cassini Closes in on Saturn

Cassini Closes in on Saturn

01/03/2004

Julius Caesar and Leap Days

Julius Caesar and Leap Days

29/02/2004

Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth

23/02/2004

SN1987A's Cosmic Pearls

SN1987A's Cosmic Pearls

20/02/2004

McNeil's Nebula

McNeil's Nebula

19/02/2004

Solar System Portrait

Solar System Portrait

14/02/2004

Supernova Survivor

Supernova Survivor

12/02/2004

The Crab Nebula from CFHT

The Crab Nebula from CFHT

28/01/2004

NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf

NGC 2440: Cocoon of a New White Dwarf

11/01/2004

Two Worlds, One Sun

Two Worlds, One Sun

10/01/2004

Comet Wild 2's Nucleus from Stardust

Comet Wild 2's Nucleus from Stardust

03/01/2004

Comet Encke Returns

Comet Encke Returns

23/12/2003

A Proton Aurora

A Proton Aurora

17/12/2003

Retrograde Mars

Retrograde Mars

16/12/2003

A Flock of Stars

A Flock of Stars

13/12/2003

An Antarctic Total Solar Eclipse

An Antarctic Total Solar Eclipse

08/12/2003

New Horizons at Jupiter

New Horizons at Jupiter

04/12/2003

Moonrise Through Mauna Kea's Shadow

Moonrise Through Mauna Kea's Shadow

03/12/2003

Phobos Over Mars

Phobos Over Mars

29/11/2003

The Long Shadow of the Moon

The Long Shadow of the Moon

27/11/2003

A Late Leonid from a Sparse Shower

A Late Leonid from a Sparse Shower

25/11/2003