Hot Facts

1. The Sun is the largest object in the solar system and contains approximately 98% of the total solar system mass.
2. The Sun is around 150 million kilometres from Earth.
3. One hundred and nine Earths would be required to fit across the Sun's disk, and its interior could hold over 1.3 million Earths.
4. The Sun's outer visible layer is called the photosphere and has a temperature of 6,000°C (11,000°F).
5. Solar energy is created deep within the core of the Sun. The temperature (15,000,000° C; 27,000,000° F) and pressure (340 billion times Earth's air pressure at sea level) are so intense that nuclear reactions take place.
6. Energy generated in the Sun's core takes a million years to reach its surface.
7. Every second 600 million metric tonnes of hydrogen are converted into helium. In the process 4 million tonnes of pure energy is released; therefore, as time goes on the Sun is becoming lighter.
8. Sunspots are dark areas on the photosphere with a typical temperature of 4,000°C
9. The corona is the outer part of the Sun's atmosphere and stretches far into space and consists of particles traveling slowly away from the Sun. The corona can only be seen during total solar eclipses.
10. The Sun appears to have been active for 4.6 billion years and has enough fuel to go on for another five billion years or so.
11. The Sun's period of rotation at the surface varies from approximately 25 days at the equator to 36 days at the poles. Deep down, below the convective zone, everything appears to rotate with a period of 27 days.
12. The Sun is made up of 92.1% Hydrogen and 7.8% Helium with the remaining .1% made up of Oxygen, Carbon, Nitrogen, Neon, Iron, Silicon, Magnesium, Sulfur and trace elements.
13. Solar Max refers to the Solar Maximum or the peak in solar activity in the solar cycle. The solar cycle lasts 11 years on average.
14. The last Solar Maximum was in 2000-2001, the next will begin in 2011.