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The Sun

The Sun is the star at the center of our solar system. It provides our planet with light, warmth, and energy.

2,069 Questions

What is the major source of energy the sun produces?

The major source of energy the sun produces is through nuclear fusion reactions in its core. Hydrogen atoms are fused together to form helium, releasing vast amounts of energy in the process.

Can you live on the sun?

No, it is not possible for humans to live on the sun. The sun's surface temperature is around 5500 degrees Celsius, which is far too hot for any form of life as we know it to survive. Additionally, the sun's atmosphere does not contain the necessary elements to support life.

Will the sun ever die?

Yes, the sun will eventually die. Before it does, however, it will have to burn off most of its fuel. As it approaches the end of its life, it will expand, and it will actually incinerate all the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars).

Why does the sun turn red?

well the atmosphere filters all visible light above blue, but if you look near the sun while it's setting you will see red light because the earth is round. So if you look to the side more and more light is being filtered.

Why does the sun appear red in the evening?

The sun appears red or orange at sunrise and sunset because of the dust particles in the air and the angle which the sun is striking Earth at the given time. This causes the reds and oranges (who are of longer wavelength) spread out and "appear" red.

Will the sun rise tomorrow?

In most places, yes. However, as of November, places near the north pole will not experience another sunrise for several months. Polar winters are dark.

Who invented the sundial?

No one knows. It could have been the Mesopotamians, or the early Babylonians. Sundials have been found in many ancient cultures. The Egyptians used sundials, as well as the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

When will the sun explode?

The Sun will not explode.

In about 4.5 billion years, our Sun will slowly cool and turn into a red giant, it's outer envelope will almost touch the Earth.

After about another million years, it will shed it's outer envelope, causing a planetary nebula What is left of our Sun, is a white dwarf about the size of the Earth, which will slowly radiate it's remaining heat into space for billion and billions of years.

Why does the sun appear bigger in the morning?

It is a purely psychological effect. When near the horizon, there are other objects in one's field of vision. With respect to these, the sun appears large. In the expanse of on empty sky, it appears small.

Why is the sun red?

The sun appears red at sunrise and sunset due to its light passing through more of the Earth's atmosphere, causing shorter blue and green wavelengths to scatter, while the longer red wavelengths remain visible. This phenomenon is known as atmospheric scattering.

How can solar power affect the future?

Solar power can positively affect the future by providing a clean and renewable source of energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. It can also create new job opportunities and promote energy independence for countries that invest in solar technology. Additionally, as technology advances and costs decrease, solar power has the potential to become more accessible and widespread.

How far is the sun?

The Sun is roughly 93,000,000 miles (151,000,000 kilometres) from the Earth this is called an Astronomical Unit (AU)The Sun is approximately 92,960,000 miles from the Earth.

Why do colors fade in the sun?

Colors fade in the sun when the ultraviolet (UV) rays break down the pigments in the dyes or paints used to create the color. This process, called photochemical degradation, causes the color molecules to lose their vibrancy and intensity over time when exposed to sunlight.

What is a flux rope?

A flux rope is a rope-like structure composed of magnetic field lines within a plasma, often found in space environments such as the Earth's magnetosphere or the Sun's corona. They are known to play a role in various dynamic processes including solar flares, geomagnetic storms, and magnetic reconnection.

Does the sun rotate or sit still?

Partially correct. Yes, it is spinning. But it is spinning from the centrifugal force and exchanges of energy present as all the material fell into it's gravity well as it was "passing by". It is a long slow descent spanning billions of years.

Rotation itself has absolutely no effect on gravity. And gravity is not related directly to spin. Gravity is entirely caused by mass warping the space around an object. Here's an OVERSIMPLIFIED example:

Suppose you had an extremely heavy object - planet sized - and you just dropped it somewhere deep in outer space away from the gravity well of the sun. It is sitting completely motionless. Then a huge rock like an asteroid comes passing by very closely. Depending on the angle and speed that it approaches as well as the mass of the rock, it could be captured by the planet's gravity and brought smashing into the planet. Since there is no resistance in space, it would impart a small amount of energy to the planet. Unless it was EXACTLY centered, this would give a small amount of rotational energy to the planet. If the rock came close by but didn't hit, it would still pull with it's own weak gravitational field a small amount. It may be hardly measurable at all, but over billions of years of repeats of the same thing, it will start to spin.

All mass has gravity, so all things affect the movement of everything else within their gravitational field. So it's no surprise that all things have spin.

Now don't confuse this with modern techniques used to estimate the mass of an object by it's spin. This kind of measurement is similar to relative dating techniques. The idea is that all things in our solar system are VERY old and that they have all been influenced by roughly the same gravitational forces and that they are mostly the same age. These estimates are used largely to guess the mass of asteroids and comets. They are just general guesses made when there is no other information available to help determine the mass. These guesses are more accurately formed as the objects pass by other massive objects like planets where the effect of the planets mass on the direction of the object and the speed of the object can lead to a much more accurate predictor of mass.

In no case is an objects spin used in the equations to determine mass. Only the rate at which other objects spin around it. A more massive planet requires that a moon be traveling faster to keep it in orbit. Anything slower would "fall" into the planet. The heavier the planet, the faster the object needs to goto stay in orbit. On Earth, an object needs to be travelling at roughly 18,600 miles per hour to stay in orbit. Slowing down is what causes rockets and shuttles to re-enter the atmosphere. If the planet were more massive, it would need to travel even faster to stay in orbit.

On a larger scale, the sun is not ony spinning, but travelling up and down and around the plane of the galaxy which is at the same time surging outward towards the dark edge of the universe.

Neat huh?

Answeryes it does. its a great big spinning ball of gas. and it has gravity. you can not have gravity by sitting still.

What color solar cover is best?

A blue solar cover is often recommended as it helps attract more sunlight and heat the pool water effectively. White solar covers are also a good option as they reflect sunlight, reducing chemical loss and retaining heat well. Ultimately, the best color can vary depending on factors like climate, pool size, and personal preference.

What is the average temperature of the sun?

The temperature varies on different parts of the Sun. For rexample, the visible part (photosphere) has a temperature of almost 6000 degrees Celsius, while the nucleus is estimated to be 15 or 16 million degrees.

What does radiant energy from the sun do to earth?

It warms the surface, driving weather patterns, and provides light for photosynthesis.

What happens to temperature as the angle at which the sun rays strike?

The seasonal tilting of the Earth away from the Sun, causes the sunlight to strike the Earth at an angle that means the distance travelled is longer and cooling is increased. This means that Winter occurs in the Northern Hemisphere, and Summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and visa versa when the Earth tilts towards the Sun.

Is the sun the smallest star or the biggest star?

The Sun is a rather average star.

VY Canis Majoris is the largest known star, it is between between 3600 and 4200 times as wide as the sun - it would stretch out almost to the orbit of Saturn.

OGLE-TR-122b is the smallest star known and in width it is only a little larger than the planet Jupiter.

Convection currents carry thermal energy from the sun to Earth?

No. Convection requires a medium to carry thermal energy from one place to another. There is no or not enough of any material in space to accomplish this. Radiation will carry thermal energy from the sun to the Earth.

Why is the temperature of soil higher than the water when heated by the sun?

Soil has a lower specific heat capacity compared to water, which means it heats up faster and to higher temperatures when exposed to the sun. Additionally, soil is less effective at reflecting sunlight compared to water, which also contributes to the soil heating up more quickly.

What is the character of the sunspot cycle?

The sunspot cycle is an approximately 11-year periodic variation in sunspot number on the Sun. It is characterized by a rise in sunspot activity leading to a peak, followed by a decline in activity to a minimum, and then the cycle repeats. Sunspots are dark regions on the Sun's surface caused by its magnetic field, and the cycle is linked to changes in solar activity and space weather.

Are sunspots most common during a sunspot minimum?

Sunspots are most common during a sunspot (solar magnetic) maximum, this occurs periodically, on an 11 year cycle.