1. Sun
Our Closest Star

2. The Sun is Our Closest Star
The Sun is the center of our solar system.
It is a huge, spinning ball of hot gas & nuclear reactions.
It lights up the Earth and provides heat.
It is a medium sized star.

3. The Sun is the center of our Solar System
1st solar photo
04/02/61
The Earth is 93 million miles from the sun.

4. Sun Spots
Sunspots are relatively cool dark patches on the sun’s surface.
They come in many shapes and sizes and often appear in groups.
These spots are much bigger than Earth

5. Solar System Portrait Taken by Voyager 1 Left to Right:
(Mercury was too close to the sun to get a picture.
Venus
Earth
(no Mars= it was in wrong spot for pic.)
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune

6. Solar Flare

9. How do we know so much about the sun?
Ulysses was launched in 1990.
It received a gravitation boost from Galileo.
What we have learned:
Solar activity and the sunspots are driven by the solar magnetic field that changes dramatically over a 22-year cycle.
The Ulysses website was last updated July 2007

10. The Sun & Mercury

11. Size Comparison: The Sun & The Earth
The Sun is so big that
1,000,000 Earths
could fit inside.

12. Comparing the Size of the Sun
Our Sun is a medium sized star.
Go to NASA Kids for more information.

13. Warning!!
Do NOT look at the sun!
It can damage your eyes permanently!