Sun

The Sun, our fiery star, fuels life, drives weather, and inspires wonder. From its blazing core to its mysterious corona, discover the science, history, and storms of the star that anchors our solar system and shapes human imagination. Explore how it powers Earth, influences technology, and continues to spark curiosity across cultures and centuries.

Over 4.6 billion years ago, the Sun was born from a swirling nebula of gas and dust. Its fiery ignition shaped the solar system, forged the conditions for life, and linked us to the stars. Discover the stellar origin story of Sol, a tale of cosmic collapse, blazing fusion, and the birth of the star that sustains Earth.

The Sun is a fiery star made mostly of hydrogen and helium, laced with stardust elements that fuel its brilliance. Learn how its plasma, chemistry, and evolving elements power our solar system and connect directly to the story of life on Earth.

The Sun’s heat is more than a number—it’s a journey from a 5,500°C surface to a 15-million°C core. Discover how its fiery layers, from photosphere to corona, create the power that sustains life on Earth and shapes the solar system.

The Sun’s brilliance comes from nuclear fusion—hydrogen atoms fusing in its core to release energy. Journey into the science of fusion, learn how Sol balances gravity and heat, and discover why this fiery process keeps our star shining for billions of years.

The Sun touches every part of life on Earth each day. Its light fuels photosynthesis, its heat drives weather and the water cycle, and its cycles regulate our health, moods, and timekeeping. From auroras dancing in polar skies to solar energy powering modern technology, Sol’s constant presence shapes ecosystems, culture, and survival in ways both visible and hidden.

The Sun looks unique in our sky, yet it is a star like billions of others. Powered by nuclear fusion, Sol shares the same origins, structure, and life cycle as distant stars across the galaxy. Explore why the Sun shines, how it compares to others, and why recognizing it as a star connects Earth to the wider universe.

The Sun’s chromosphere and corona are very different layers of its atmosphere. One glows red with jets of plasma, the other blazes as a million-degree crown. Together, they reveal the Sun’s power, mystery, and daily influence on Earth.

The Sun is more than a glowing ball—it is a layered star with each zone playing a unique role. From the fusion-powered core to the million-degree corona, explore how Sol’s structure fuels light, drives space weather, and connects directly to life on Earth.

Journey with NASA’s Parker Solar Probe as it soars closer to the Sun than any spacecraft in history. Witness the quest to uncover the secrets of solar wind, magnetic storms, and the blazing corona — a mission that defies heat, distance, and imagination to touch the very heart of our solar system.

Explore the fiery heart of our star in Solar Flares Explained: Cosmic Explosions on the Sun. Witness magnetic storms, brilliant eruptions, and the science behind the Sun’s most powerful outbursts. From dazzling auroras to space-weather chaos, uncover how these cosmic blasts connect Earth to the dynamic forces of the solar system.

A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is the Sun’s most powerful eruption—an immense burst of plasma and magnetism that races through space, painting auroras across Earth’s skies or shaking our planet’s power grids. Explore the science, beauty, and danger of these awe-inspiring solar storms that reveal the fiery heartbeat of our star.