The Sun is an amazing part of our sky that rises every morning to light up our world and sets in the evening, leaving us in darkness. It gives us the heat and energy we need for life on Earth. Because it’s so important, people have been studying the Sun for a very long time, and scientists are still trying to learn more about it today.
The Sun is a star, just like the stars you see twinkling at night. But because it’s much closer to us—about 93 million miles away—it looks much bigger and brighter. Even though it’s so far away, the light from the Sun reaches us in just about 8 minutes because light travels super fast!
Even though the Sun looks small from where we are, it’s actually huge! It’s more than 100 times wider than Earth. If the Sun were hollow, you could fit over a million Earths inside it! It’s the biggest thing in our solar system, making up more than 99% of all the stuff in it. All the planets, moons, and other space objects together make up less than 1%.
The Sun is called a yellow dwarf star, which means it’s an average-sized star. It’s mostly made of gases like hydrogen and helium. The Sun’s gravity is so strong that it creates a lot of heat and pressure in its core. This causes nuclear fusion, where hydrogen atoms combine to make helium. The core is super hot, about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit, while the surface is cooler at around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Sun doesn’t have a solid surface like Earth. Its outer layer is always moving, with sunspots—cooler, darker areas—and solar flares, which are bursts of energy. These changes show how active and lively the Sun is.
All the planets, including Earth, orbit around the Sun. Earth takes one year to go around the Sun, but the Sun takes about 230 million years to orbit the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way. The Sun’s energy is vital for life on Earth; without it, our planet would be dark, freezing, and lifeless.
The Sun has fascinated people for thousands of years, and even though we know a lot about it, there’s still so much more to discover. Learning about the Sun is important because it’s the center of our solar system and essential for life on Earth.
Sun Size Experiment: To understand how big the Sun is compared to Earth, try this fun activity. Take a large ball, like a beach ball, to represent the Sun. Then, use a small marble to represent Earth. Place them side by side and observe the size difference. Discuss with your friends or family how many marbles you think could fit inside the beach ball. This will help you visualize how many Earths could fit inside the Sun!
Sunlight and Shadows: On a sunny day, go outside and observe how the Sun creates shadows. Notice how your shadow changes size and direction throughout the day. Draw a picture of your shadow in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon. Discuss why the shadows change and how this relates to the Sun’s position in the sky.
Sun’s Energy in Action: Create a simple solar oven using a pizza box, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and black construction paper. With the help of an adult, place a small piece of chocolate or a marshmallow inside the oven and leave it in direct sunlight. Observe how the Sun’s energy melts the chocolate or marshmallow. Discuss how the Sun’s energy is used in real life, like in solar panels or to grow plants.
