Cosmic Lesson #5: The Sun

The Sun, which is actually a star, is the center of our solar system. It is 4.5 billion years old. The Sun weighs five hundred times more than the rest of the solar system put together!

Sun spots are darker areas of the Sun. This is because those areas are cooler than the rest of the Sun.

Although the Sun is much bigger than the Moon, from Earth, they appear to be the same size. This is because the Sun is so much farther away from the Moon. When the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, it completely blocks out the Sun's light. This is called a solar eclipse.

The Sun has a gravitational force that pulls everything else around it. The planets and the other object in the solar system, orbit around the Sun.

Student Activity:

  • Students illustrate the Sun. See: http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/sun.html for a diagram to label (sunspots, photosphere, solar flares, prominence, corona, chromosphere)
  • Be sure to visit The Sun for solar facts, mythology, word searches, and solar concentration.

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