The Sun

The sun is the nearest star to the Earth. The sun appears very large and bright. However, it is not especially large or bright when compared to other stars. It appears this way because it is much closer to the Earth than any other star. The nearest star is more than 250,000 times farther away. The nearest star to the Earth is_______________.

The Sun Huge amounts of heat energy and light are given off by the sun. The energy comes from nuclear reactions in the sun. These reactions take place in the core, which is the center of the sun. The temperature there is believed to be about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. A large portion of the heat energy is changed into light energy on the surface of the sun. As a result, the temperature of the surface is only about 10,000 degrees F. The hottest part of the sun is___________________.

THE SUN Even at the temperature of 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the sun is very hot. Earth is about 93 million miles from the sun. This is just the right distance for people to live on Earth. If we were any closer to the sun it would be too hot to support most forms of life. If the Earth were much farther away from the sun, it would be too cold. Many people have solar-powered calculators. What kind of energy from the sun do these devices use?

EXTENSION Select one natural disaster or type of bad weather that your area sometimes experiences. For example, you could pick an earthquake, tornadoes, flooding. Then make a list of things you could do to prepare yourself and your family for such an event. Then write a plan of evacuation if you had to leave the area.