Our local star, the Sun, is a ball of hot plasma with 750 times the mass of all the Solar System’s planets combined! At its core, which has a temperature of 15.7 million C ( 28.3 million F ), nuclear fusion reactions produce helium for hydrogen and generate huge amounts of energy in form of light, heat, X-rays, ultraviolet radiation and Radio waves. It’s surface temperature has stayed constant since it formed about 4.6 B years ago, and will remain like this another 5 B years. Than, it will transform into a *red giant star and destroy the * inner planets.
The Sun’s atmosphere has 3 layers. Just above the *photosphere (5300 C or 9570 F) lies the chromosphere, which is about 2000 km (1200 miles) deep. Going up through the chromosphere, the temperature gradually rises until it gets to the very hot core.
That’s all for today! See you next time!
For more info visit the following links:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_wind
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flare
https://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/bestofsoho/Helioseismology/mdi026.html
* red giant star = a category of stars
* inner planets = Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars
* photosphere = Sun’s visible surface layer
Credit: Smithsonian NATURE guide: Stars and Planets
Space Learning Web 