The Sun, Our Closest Star All: I am a Star, the closest Star.

Sun 1: I am an ordinary star, like the many stars you see in the night sky.

Sun 2: I am not the largest or the brightest, but I am the most important star to life on Earth. All: I am a star, the closest star.

109 Earths Sun 3: Although I may look like a small ball, I am a giant compared to Earth. I am wider than a hundred Earths.

Sun 4: And if I were a hollow ball, it would take more than one million Earths to fill me.

The Sun: Sol Sun 5: My gigantic size makes me the center of attraction. I am strong enough to hold all the parts of this system together. Sun 1: Is it any wonder the system is named after me?

All: I am a star, your closest star. Sun 2: I may be millions of times closer to you than other stars, but I am still very far away.

Sun 3: It would take a jet plane nineteen years to reach me Sun 3: It would take a jet plane nineteen years to reach me. But, of course, no one can visit me.

Sun 4: I am not solid like the Earth, so there is no ground to walk on Sun 4: I am not solid like the Earth, so there is no ground to walk on. And, you wouldn’t survive my scorching heat!

All: Like all stars, I am a giant ball of hot gases All: Like all stars, I am a giant ball of hot gases. My light and heat energy pours out into space.

Sun 5: Deep inside my core, constant explosions create the enormous heat that makes me shine. All: I am a star, your closest star.

Sun 1: From Earth, you see my surface Sun 1: From Earth, you see my surface. I can look like a big white sphere high in the sky or a big red ball at sunset.

Sun 2: I am magnificent, but don’t look at me Sun 2: I am magnificent, but don’t look at me! My light energy is blinding!

Sun 3: Like Earth, I, too, have an atmosphere. Sun 4: A thin, pink layer of hot gases hugs my surface. Because of its color, I call it my color-sphere or chromo-sphere.

Sun 5: But my crowning glory is my halo of hot gases that reach millions of miles out into space. All: I am a star, the closest star.

Sun 1: You depend on me to shine everyday Sun 1: You depend on me to shine everyday. You depend on me to grow your plants, cook your food, and make your rain and rainbows, too.

All: I am your constant source of life. But, I am constantly changing.

Sun 2: Sometimes my surface breaks out with dark spots called sunspots. Sun 3: To you, my sunspots look small, but they are many times larger than your Earth.

Sun 4: My sunspots bring powerful storms Sun 4: My sunspots bring powerful storms. Fountains of gas shoot high into my atmosphere.

Sun 5: I am constantly changing Sun 5: I am constantly changing. But, I have been with you for billions of years. Sun 1: And, I will be with you for billions more.

All: I am a star, the closest star.

Sun 2: I am not the largest or the brightest, but I am the most important star to life on Earth.

All: Study me, learn about me. I am your star – the Sun.

Credits The graphics in this presentation were taken from the following sites, and are in the public domain. www.NASA.gov http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/ http://en.wikipedia.org/ www.ncar.ucar.edu/