Space weather What is the sun made of? hydrogen Most of the gas — about 72 percent — is hydrogen. Nuclear fusion converts hydrogen into other elements. The sun is also composed of about 26 percent helium and trace amounts of other elements — oxygen, carbon, neon, nitrogen, magnesium, iron and silicon.

What are the effects of the sun on earth Energy from the sun is very important to the earth The Sun warms our planet, heating the surface, the oceans and the atmosphere. This energy to the atmosphere is one of the primary drivers our weather. Our climate is also strongly affected by the amount of solar radiation received at Earth. That amount changes based on the Earth's albedo, that is how much radiation is reflected back from the Earth’s surface and clouds

What is space weather? Space weather refers to the environmental conditions in Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere due to the Sun and the solar wind that can influence the functioning and reliability of spaceborne and ground-based systems and services or endanger property or human health.

How does space weather affect astronauts and their lives, especially those aboard the ISS? During geomagnetic storms, the increased density and energy of particles trapped in the radiation belts means a greater chance that an astronaut will be hit by a damaging particle. Damage to DNA within cell may lead to cancer. That’s why the International Space Station has increased shielding around crew quarters, and why NASA carefully monitors each astronaut’s radiation exposure throughout his or her career