Interesting Facts About SUN

Interesting Facts about our SUN

Over the course of human history the Sun has been feared, respected, worship and idolised by Human Beings. truly therefore. What our ancestors knew on a basic level was that the Sun provides a significant crucial, life supporting ingredients for the lifecycle on the Earth.

As our knowledge domain has magnified therefore so as our understanding that our Earth is simply a small chunk or hanging oasis within the larger structure we all know as our solar system. What we've got additionally added to our list of discoveries is that though different planets and bodies within the system might not support life system or may not have habitable environment, the Sun is simply as prestigious or influential to them as well.

Fact No. 1: Composition of Sun

SUN being the leader of our solar system is, comprises of two basic ingredients Hydrogen (lighter atomic nucleus) and Helium (heavier atomic nucleus). Certain conditions are met in order for Sun to exist and provide necessary light to support life on planet earth. Due to the nuclear fusion on Sun the lighter atomic nuclei of Hydrogen are fused together to form Helium.

Fact No. 2: Size and Mass of Sun

Sun if compared with other giant stars (mostly known as red giants) is considerable small, yet biggest in our solar system and also larger to many dwarf stars or neutron stars in milky way and other nearby galaxies. Sun has the diameter of approximately 1.5 million kilometers (932,056 miles) i.e. Sun's diameter is approximately 100+ times of Earth's diameter. It would take 1,000,000 earth size marbles to fit inside Sun. In terms of Mass, Sun's Mass is approximately 330,000 times that of Earth and it make around 99.8% of the total mass of our entire solar system.

Fact No. 3: Age of Sun

SUN is fairly the mature star and approximately 4 billion years old (considered to be its half life), after some 150 million years it will expand to red giant and start eating all planets our solar system including earth, and collapsing itself into the white dwarf, and eventually turning itself into the black hole.

Fact No. 4: Orbital Speed

The Sun orbits around the galactic center of Milky Way at a speed of 230km/sec and it is 25k to 30k light years away from galactic center of milky way. it take approximately 250 million years for SUN to orbit around Milky way. Now that being said, our entire history of human civilization and life on earth will start and finish within this one orbit.

Fact No. 5: Distance and Orbital Direction

The distance between Earth and SUN is between 147 to 153 million kilometer i.e. One Astronomical Unit. Sun rotates from west to east unlike earth from east to west and rotates much faster at its equator than its poles, this is known as differential rotation.

Fact No. 6: Gravity (g) and SUN spots.

The gravitational force on SUN is not constant, rather varies releasing magnetic energy and create magnetic storms, unique phenomenon of solar flares and famous sunspots. Sunspots (appears to be darker) are cooler than its surrounding still hotter than anything on earth.

Fact No. 7: Nuclear Fusion and Temperature

Sun generated energy through nuclear fusion in its core or inner zone, this process fuses the lighter hydrogen atom to form heavier helium. Generally this process of Nuclear Fusion will create massive explosion or blast but due to SUN's massive gravitational pull this appears to be within controlled environment. The temperature inside SUN can reach upto 15,000,000 (15 million) degree celsius and surface temperature between 5k and 5.7k degrees celsius (i.e. 9k and 10.3k degrees fahrenheit).