3.6.1

The Sun

Test yourself

Our Sun

The Sun is a star that is in our solar system. All the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun.

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Size of the Sun

  • The Sun is a star at the centre of our solar system.
  • The Sun is the largest object in the solar system and so has the largest gravitational pull.
  • The Sun contains about 99.8% of the total mass of the solar system.
    • It would take about 1.3 million Earths to fill up the Sun.
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Temperature of the Sun

  • The visible edge of the Sun is over 5,500°C.
  • The core of the Sun is over 15 million °C.
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Age of the Sun

  • The Sun is around 4.6 billion years old. This is about halfway through its life cycle.
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Solar eclipse

  • Light takes 8 minutes to reach the Earth from the Sun.
  • A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes in between the Sun and the Earth.
    • A partial solar eclipse is where some of the Sun is still visible as the Moon passes.
    • A total solar eclipse is when the Moon completely covers the Sun.
  • The Ancient Greeks recorded observations of solar eclipses.

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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