Our sun is a star located in our Solar System. It is a huge, spinning ball of hot gas, mostly hydrogen and helium, that lights up the Earth and provides us with heat. The sun is about 4.6 billion years old. The interior of the sun can hold about 1.3 million Earths.

The sun plays important roles, or does important things for us here on Earth. Some examples include: It is a major source of energy. It helps plants to grow. It creates winds.

Energy from the sun is called solar energy. Solar energy is the sun’s radiant heat that reaches the earth. This type of energy from the sun can be changed into other forms such as, heat and electricity. We must remember, not all the light, heat, and energy comes to us. Most goes back into space and some is scattered around earth.

One interesting fact is that some people use solar cells or solar panels to collect the sun’s light, heat, and energy to warm their homes, swimming pools, and/or water. Today, there are even cars running by solar energy.

The sun also helps plants to grow.

The sun helps keep plants warm. It also helps them to carry out photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants change sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into food.

Solar Winds Solar winds are a stream of electrically charged particles that are given off by a magnetic field around the sun. The wind is given off where the magnetic field loops out into space instead of looping back into the sun. It takes a solar wind about 4.5 days to reach Earth. Solar winds affect the entire solar system. They can even cause of electronic disruptions on Earth.

Layers of the Sun 1) The Core The center layer of the sun where all of its light and heat is created. 2) The Radiation Zone The heat and light move from the core into this layer. 3) Convection Zone The gasses move like boiling water from the inner layers of the sun towards the outer layers that are visible to us. 4) Photosphere This is the part of the sun that we see. This layer gives off the heat and light from the sun. We can find sunspots on the cooler parts of this layer. 5) Chromosphere This layer shoots out hot gasses into the atmosphere around the sun. 6) Corona This layer can only be seen during a solar eclipse. It is the atmosphere around the sun.

Let’s Review What are the major roles the sun plays for us here on Earth? What is energy from the sun called? What is the wind called that is from the sun? How many days does it take for the wind to reach the Earth? Which layer of the sun is visible to us from Earth? Which layer of the sun is only visible during an eclipse? In which layer of the sun do the gasses move like boiling water from the inner layers towards the outer layers?