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Sun
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Joshua Tree National Park solar system to scale Inland Sea photosphere of the Sun Planets of Our Solar System
How to watch a solar eclipse
Explore the physics behind nuclear fusion and the Sun
evolution of a Sun-like star internal rotation of the Sun
Observe a dopplergram showing the velocity of solar material in the photosphere captured by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager
For Students
imaging using ultraviolet light
Sun summary
Quizzes
View of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31, M31).
Astronomy and Space Quiz
The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
Space Odyssey
Ursa major constellation illustration art. (Big Dipper) stars, space, night sky)
Stars: Explosions in Space
1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
Brightest Star in the Solar System
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
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Solar system illustration. (Sun; planets)
A Model of the Cosmos
Colorful winter sunset
What's the Difference Between a Solstice and an Equinox?
Solar system illustration. (planets; sun)
Why Are Planets Round?
solar eclipse, sun, moon, astronomy, space
How Do You Tell the Difference Between Total, Annular, Solar, and Lunar Eclipses?
Discover
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Why We Celebrate MLK Day
Flag of Bhutan
6 Small Kingdoms of the World
Hemp (Cannabis sativa).
9 Mind-Altering Plants
A tornado in rural Iowa sweeps dangerously near a farm. Weather storm
Why Does the United States Have More Tornadoes than Any Other Country?
Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers.
9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals
World Data Locator Map: Australia
Is Australia an Island?
Demystified - Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide? illustration
Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide?
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park Joshua trees at sunset, Joshua Tree National Park, southern California, U.S.

Sun

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Written by
Harold Zirin
Professor of Astrophysics, Emeritus; Director and Builder, Big Bear Solar Observatory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Author of Astrophysics of the Sun and others.
Harold Zirin,
Kenneth Lang
Professor of astrophysics and radio astronomy, Tufts University. Prof. Lang is a world renowned author of popular and scholarly books in astronomy and astrophysics.
Kenneth Lang•All
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History

News •

Nasa probe makes closest ever pass by the Sun on Christmas Eve • Jan. 21, 2025, 7:21 AM ET (South China Morning Post)
Solar Orbiter Unveils the Sun in Unprecedented Detail • Jan. 15, 2025, 11:44 PM ET (SciTechDaily)
Rare comet may be visible for only time in 160,000 years • Jan. 13, 2025, 10:32 PM ET (BBC)
The Parker Solar Probe just made its closest ever approach to the Sun • Jan. 9, 2025, 4:08 AM ET (Astronomy Magazine)
Solar Fury Erupts: Sun Rings In the New Year With X1.8 Flare • Jan. 7, 2025, 11:40 PM ET (SciTechDaily)

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. It is part of the "observable universe," the region of space that humans can actually or theoretically observe with the aid of technology. Unlike the observable universe, the universe is possibly infinite. (List of Brightest Stars as Seen from Earth) The Sun is ...(100 of 10749 words)

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