Interesting Facts About The Sun
The Sun is the life giving force in our solar system. Indeed, we named the “solar” system after it. So, what interesting facts about the Sun do we have?
Interesting Facts About The Sun
At its essence, the Sun is a huge nuclear reactor. It is a combination of gases, which are compressed to the point where they react and produce stunning amounts of energy. This energy, of course, is the seed of light for our planet. The energy provided by sunlight is necessary for plants and organisms to live 99.9 percent of the time.
Here are some interesting facts about the Sun:
- The Sun is 109 times larger than the Earth.
- Light from the Sun travels 186,000 miles per second.
- Light travels over an average of 93 million miles from the Sun to the Earth in less than 9 minutes.
- The temperature of the surface of the Sun is roughly 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The temperature at the center of the Sun is believed to be 27,000 degrees.
- Hydrogen and helium make up over 95 percent of the mass of the Sun.
- The equator of the Sun takes 25 days to rotate once.
- The poles of the Sun take 35 days on average to complete a rotation.
- The Sun is about 4.5 billion years old.
- The Sun is believed to be half way through its fuel.
- The Sun is one of the largest suns found in the known universe.
- Sunspots are cool areas on the surface of the Sun.
- Major sustained sunspots are associated with ice ages on Earth.
- The energy contained in one days worth of sunlight could power the Earth for a full year.
- If the Earth did not have a magnetic field, solar particles would wipe out all life.
- The planet Mars lost its magnetic field and the current condition is the result of the solar radiation from the Sun battering the planet.
- The Sun has an extremely strong magnetic field, which extends beyond all of the planets in the solar system.
As these interesting facts about the Sun show, it is the dominant mass in our little corner of the galaxy. Without it, human beings would not exist.
