The Sun is our star. It is a body of glowing gases, similar to other stars you see in the night sky. But we call our star the Sun. It is the center of our solar system, and all the planets orbit, or revolve, around it.
What do we know about our Sun? When the Earth rotates so that we are facing it, we see a yellow glowing mass. It may not look as big as it really is because it is 93 million miles away from us. However, it is like an unbelievably large furnace, 870,000 miles across, where hydrogen is changed into helium by nuclear reactions. Whenever changes like that take place, energy is given off. That energy is in the form of heat and light. Without that heat and light our planet would be cold and dark. Plants could not grow. Nothing as we know it would live.
So, we should be grateful for our Sun which gives life to our planet. It has been shining for about 5 billion years! But here is something to worry about...the Sun will eventually burn out! So... should you plan your next birthday party? Should you bother studying for your next test in social studies? Should you buy green bananas? To find out, click here.
What else should you know about our Sun? It is a very average star. There are bigger stars and smaller stars. There are brighter stars and dimmer stars. Our Sun is called a main sequence star. There are giants, super giants, and white dwarfs. Light from the Sun takes about 8 minutes to get to us. So if you notice a flare or something else unusual going on around the Sun, whatever it is, it happened 8 minutes earlier.
Now don't go thinking that our Sun is the weakling of the universe. Its surface temperature is almost 10,000 degrees F. and its core temperature (the inner center) is 27,000,000 degrees F.! Obviously, our Sun is a yellow star. Blue stars are hotter, and red stars are cooler. When you look at a flame--a match or a candle, the center of the flame--the hottest part--is blue.
How do scientists know what stars are made of? The light given off by a star can be split into a spectrum, just like a prism or a crystal can break up white light into the colors of the rainbow. The pattern of lines and colors tells scientists what gases are being given off and how hot the star is. You can even put certain substances into your fireplace to make the flame a different color! (Don't try this yourself!)
What did you learn?
Stop worrying your pretty little heads! Buy those green bananas and let them ripen. And don't forget to study for your next test! Our Sun is expected to live another 5 billion years!