Today, we want to present you with the most interesting facts about the Sun. First and foremost, solar energy sustains life on Earth. Solar radiation is essential for photosynthesis. Equally important, the Sun is a source of light for our planet. It is hard to imagine our life without the Sun and its warm rays.
The Sun is one of the 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, but it is the only star in the Solar System. All objects in the Solar System orbit around the Sun, making it the center of our galaxy.
Interesting Facts About the Sun
- Light from the Sun reaches our planet in eight minutes.
- The Sun is a huge star, meaning it does not have any satellites like planets. However, at least five dwarf planets, eight planets, and tens of thousands of asteroids orbit the Sun.
- When magnetic energy accumulated in the Sun’s atmosphere is suddenly released, it causes a rapid change in brightness known as a solar flare.
- The Sun resembles a burning fiery ball, but it has an internal structure. The visible surface, called the photosphere, is heated to a temperature of about 6000 degrees Kelvin. Below it is the convective zone, where heat slowly moves from the Sun’s interior to the surface, and cooled material falls back down in columns.
- Only forty percent of solar radiation reaches our planet, while the remaining sixty percent is reflected back into space.
- Earth orbits the Sun, and the Sun orbits the center of our galaxy. The period of the Sun’s orbit around the center of the Milky Way is about 240 million years.
- Like all stars, the Sun has its own atmosphere.
- From September 1st to 2nd, 1859, the largest geomagnetic storm in history occurred, caused by a solar flare.
- Ancient Indian scientists and the Greek philosopher Aristarchus of Samos were the first to suggest that our planet orbits the Sun.
- The Sun is composed of seventy-four percent hydrogen and twenty-four percent helium. The remaining two percent includes small amounts of oxygen, nickel, and iron. Hence, the Solar System is primarily made up of hydrogen.
- Indian astrologers have 12 different names and meanings for the Sun, representing the 12 months of the year: Mitra (Friend), Ravi (Radiant), Surya (Giver of Beauty), Bhanu (Catalyst of Emotions), Khaga (Magnificent), Pushna (Nourisher), Hiranya Garba (All-inclusive), Marika (Destroyer of Darkness), Aditya (Enlightener of the Path), Savitra (Awakener), Arka (Flash of Heat), and Bhaskara (Liberator).
- Approximately every 11 years, the Sun’s magnetic poles switch polarity. The magnetic north becomes the magnetic south, and vice versa. This may sound crazy, especially compared to the relatively stable magnetic poles of the Earth. But considering the Sun is a giant ball of constantly moving gas and plasma, it’s not that surprising.
- In 1999, a total solar eclipse could be seen perfectly from Romania. In honor of this event, Romanian authorities issued a banknote featuring a small window for observing the eclipse.
- In ancient times, many peoples had their own sun god. In Egyptian mythology, the sun god was Ra. In ancient Roman and Greek mythology, the sun god was Apollo. In ancient Indian and ancient Persian mythology, the sun god was Mitra.
- The Sun’s magnetic field, known as the heliosphere, protects the planets from harmful cosmic radiation.