The sun is the star at the center of our solar system. It’s an enormous, glowing ball of gas that provides Earth with light and heat. It is also the largest object in our solar system, accounting for more than 99% of its total mass. Here are some fun facts about the sun that kids can enjoy:
1) The sun is the source of all life on Earth. It provides the energy that drives the processes of photosynthesis, which in turn produces the oxygen and food that all living beings need to survive.
2) The temperature at the surface of the sun is over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. But in the sun’s core, the temperature is a scorching 27 million degrees Fahrenheit!
3) The sun is made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, two of the lightest elements in the universe.
4) The sun is so large that you could fit more than one million Earths inside it. However, compared to other stars, the sun is relatively small.
5) The sun’s energy is created through the process of nuclear fusion. This involves the fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium atoms, which releases vast amounts of energy.
6) The sun is approximately 93 million miles away from Earth. This distance is known as an astronomical unit (AU).
7) The sun’s energy takes about eight minutes and twenty seconds to reach Earth.
8) The sun has a magnetic field that causes sunspots, which are dark areas on the surface of the sun. Sunspots can be several times larger than the Earth.
9) The sun rotates on its own axis once every 27 days. This rotation causes the sun’s magnetic field to twist and turn, which can cause solar flares and other space weather phenomena.
10) The sun is about 4.6 billion years old and is expected to continue shining for another 5 billion years or so.
