| Without the Sun, the Earth
would be a lifeless ball of rock and ice. The Sun warms
our planet, creates our weather, and gives energy to
plants providing food and energy to support life on
Earth.
The Sun is a large ball of gas consisting mostly
of hydrogen and helium. The Sun is about 109 times larger
than Earth.
Scientists estimate that the temperature at the center
of the Sun is about 15 million degrees celcius. This is
similar to exploding a hydrogen, or nuclear, bomb. Large
explosions on the Sun's surface cause solar flares that
shoot up high into space. The surface temperature is
about 4000 degrees celcius.
Energy released from the Sun radiates in all
directions, reaching the Earth and other planets. The
further the planet is from the Sun, the less energy it
receives. |
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