The Sun:

Our star

Sun

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

•The sun is very hot.

•The sun provides energy that heats the Earth and allows plants and animals to survive.

•The sun is very bright.

•Light from the sun allows animals to see and plants to make food.

•The Sun has a strong force of gravity.

•The Sun’s gravity holds Earth close to the Sun where it received the Sun’s energy.

•The Sun is a good distance from the Earth. The Sun is far enough away that the Earth is not too hot or too cold.

Our Sun is the closest star to the Earth.

It is at least 4.5 billion years old.

Without the Sun, the Earth would not be able to support life.

THE THE SUNSUN

The Sun’s diameter is The Sun’s diameter is 1,380,000 km1,380,000 km

•110 X Earth’s 110 X Earth’s diameterdiameter

•The Sun’s volume equals 1 million The Sun’s volume equals 1 million EarthsEarths

•The Sun’s mass is 745 X > than all The Sun’s mass is 745 X > than all planetsplanets

•Surface temperature is Surface temperature is 5500 5500 o o CC•Interior temperature, 15,000,000Interior temperature, 15,000,000 oo C C

The Sun’s Structure• The Sun’s corona, or

atmosphere, is only visible during an eclipse.

• The photosphere has a grainy look. Its surface is made up of hot, bright areas called granules.

The Sun’s Structure• A sunspot is a dark area on

the photosphere.• Sunspots appear dark

because they are cooler than the rest of the Sun.

• The sunspot theory suggests that these areas are formed due to changes in the Sun’s magnetic field.