It is by far the most important source of energy for life on Earth. The Sun has been an object of veneration in many cultures. It has been a central subject for astronomical research since antiquity. The Sun orbits the Galactic Center at a distance of 24,000 to 28,000 light-years.

Dec 27, 2024 · The Sun is the star at the heart of our solar system. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything – from the biggest planets to the smallest bits of debris – in its orbit.

Nov 5, 2024 · Our Sun is a 4.5 billion-year-old yellow dwarf star – a hot glowing ball of hydrogen and helium – at the center of our solar system. It’s about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from Earth and it’s our solar system’s only star. Without the Sun’s energy, life as we know it could not exist on our home planet.

Jan 22, 2025 · Sun, star around which Earth and the other components of the solar system revolve. It is the dominant body of the system, constituting more than 99 percent of its entire mass. The Sun is the source of an enormous amount of energy, a portion of which provides Earth with the light and heat necessary to support life.

Jan 14, 2025 · The Sun contains almost ALL of the material in our solar system. 99% of it. All the planets, asteroids and comets add up to less than 1% of the total. The Sun is so far away that it takes light about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for it to get …

Sep 15, 2018 · It holds the solar system together; provides life-giving light, heat, and energy to Earth; and generates space weather. The sun resides some 26,000 light-years from the Milky Way's center, in a...

Dec 18, 2024 · What is the Sun, and what is it made of? The Sun is a yellow dwarf star. It is approximately 4.5 billion years old and is in its “main sequence” phase. This means it is partway through its lifecycle with a few billion more years ahead of it. The Sun is made of hydrogen and helium gases. At its core, hydrogen is fused to form helium.

Jun 20, 2024 · NASA has multiple missions studying how the Sun and solar storms affect Earth and space travel. The International Space Station contributes to this research in several ways.

Dec 1, 2023 · We study the sun to better understand how its ever-changing conditions can influence Earth, other worlds, and even space itself. NASA studies the sun for numerous reasons.

We study the Sun to learn about how stars work, and to help protect our civilization from solar storms. Where did the Sun come from? The Sun formed 4.6 billion years ago from a gigantic collapsing cloud of gas and dust called the solar nebula.