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The Science Behind Our Favorite Star Sun-believable!
That big ball of fire in the sky plays a significant role in our lives. Most of us don’t give the sun a second thought unless it gets in our eyes when driving or we need to apply sunscreen before going outside. Without the sun, our planet would be plunged into darkness and frigid temperatures, making life impossible for us, plants, and all the animals that call Earth home. In honor of Sun Day on Sept. 21, let’s explore three lesser-known facts about the star at the center of our solar system.
It’s already been around for 4.5 billion years, and scientists predict it will survive for another 6.5 billion. When that time comes, the sun will grow to a red giant, consuming Mercury, Venus, and potentially Earth before becoming a white dwarf. Thankfully, none of us will be around to experience that phenomenon. THE SUN IS VERY HOT. Learning that the sun is hot is not a groundbreaking discovery; even our youngest children understand this concept, but many people don’t realize just how hot the sun is. At its core, the sun burns at 27,000,000 F. The surface is much cooler, sitting at 10,000 F. For reference, lava erupting from a volcano will only reach around 2,200 F at its hottest. The sun’s surface burns so hot that you could boil diamonds on it!
WE’RE LEARNING MORE EVERY DAY. Many details about the sun remain unknown. Astrophysicists have spent decades trying to predict and better understand solar storms, which disperse plasma across the solar system, often disrupting energy grids and spacecraft. In recent years, NASA has made a dedicated effort to learn more. They sent the Parker Solar Probe to the sun, where it studies solar wind and the corona from within 4 million miles of the star’s surface. Ideally, this information will make predicting future solar storms and space weather events easier.
THE SUN WON’T EXTINGUISH ITSELF ANYTIME SOON.
Thanks to science fiction, some people believe that once the sun uses up its energy, it will dim or explode and end all life in our solar system. However, that’s not a real concern. First, you must consider the age and lifespan of our sun.
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