The sun is our largest member of our Planetary System. It weighs about five hundred times as much as anything else in our Planetary System. Wow, now that is a lot! It is the only planet or star in our Planetary System large enough for its center to undergo nuclear fusion. It is able to produce so much energy that it shines. The planets of our Planetary System are so much smaller that nuclear fusion can't occur. Their surfaces are cold. They only shine by reflecting light from the sun. All of our planets do orbit the sun.

Here are some questions about the sun. Can you answer them? Click on the question to find the answer!

How Hot Is the Sun?

The sun is very hot. At the core it is 15 million degrees Celsius or 27 million degrees Farenheit. Using a magnifying glass, we can see the very hot heat and the light of the sun. Please do not do that because it can hurt your eyes.

This makes the light very bright and the heat is so hot it could start a fire.

Can you make electricity from the heat of the sun?

YES! Did you know that the heat of the sun is called solar energy. It's used to produce team,which can then be turned into electricity. That's real cool!

Why Does the Sun Seem to be Moving?

It is because the earth is moving. The earth goes around the sun one time which takes a year. The earth goes from west to east. To the people on earth, the sun really does seem to be moving. The sun tricked you! The earth turns really slow. The sun just seems to come in view.

How Bright is the Sun?

Our sun is really, really, really bright! Now that's really bright. It is measured in watts which 380 followed by 24 zeros. That is even brighter than all the lightbulbs on earth! The whole reason the sun is so bright is because it is so hot. Did you know that the sun is the closest star to the earth and is the center of the solar system.

Did people ever worship the sun?

Ancient Greeks imagined the sun was a god named Helios driving a flaming chariot across the sky. The Babylonians thought the sun was a god, too. They named it Shamash who provided laws for people to follow. The Egyptian Sun god was called Ra. It was their nation's protector.