Planets and the Solar System/Sun

The sun is a star in the center of our solar system. It is about 93 million miles from Earth.

It is the largest object in our solar system and provides the energy that drives all life on Earth.

Structure of the Sun

The sun is made up of mainly hydrogen and helium. Like, Earth the sun is composed of different layers.

• core
• radiation zone
• convection zone
• photosphere

The core is the hottest region of the sun. In the core hydrogen combines to form helium, and this process releases the energy in different forms, like heat and light. Temperatures in the core can reach up to 27 million degrees Fahrenheit.

The energy produced in the core, then passes through the radiation zone and the convection zone. The temperature in the convection zone changes, creating a movement similar to "boiling water".

The photosphere is considered the surface of the sun. The word part photo- means light and sphere means ball. The photosphere is ball of light visible from Earth. The temperature the surface is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Our Sun is a Star

Stars are grouped by size, temperature, color, and other traits. Our sun is a medium size yellow star.

The sun and solar system

All of the planets in our solar system orbit the sun. The sun is located at the center of solar system. Objects closer to the sun receive more heat and light, than objects further away. The habitable zone is a place not too hot and not too cold to support life. We live in the habitable zone. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. 2021 PH 27 is the closest object to the sun.