THE SUN AND STARS!! Cool Facts to Keep in Mind!!! THE SUN BASIC INFO •Found at the center of our Solar System •It makes up around 99.86% of the mass of the Solar System •Diameter → 865,000 miles •Made of mostly Hydrogen (74%) WHAT KIND OF STAR? • The Sun is a middle-sized yellow star. • The Sun is a main-sequence G2V star or yellow dwarf. • The Sun is 4.6 billion years old. • Name SOL after the ancient Roman name. • In Greek it was called Helios. ENERGY PRODUCER • Thermonuclear fusion is the process in which a star produces it’s own light, heat, and energy. • Nuclear Fusion is where hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium. • This is how the planets in our solar system receive heat and light. • At the center of the Sun reaches temperatures of 15 million degrees C. DISTANCE • The distance from the Sun to the Earth changes throughout the year because the Earth travels around the Sun on an elliptical orbit. • The distance varies between 147 to 152 million kilometers. (83 to 93 million miles) HOT FACTS • It has a very strong magnetic field. • Solar Flares occur when magnetic energy is released by the Sun during magnetic storms, which we see as sunspots. These spin much like tornadoes on Earth. • Solar winds occurs where the magnetic field of the Sun extends into space. SUN VIDEOS • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpzZe1V9SsI • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89GJWHYNScE • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Np-AR9E7c-- watch at the end if there is time. MAIN SEQUENCE STAR • The majority of all stars in our galaxy, and even the Universe. • The Sun is one. • The nearest neighbors Sirius and Alpha Centauri are too. • The all convert hydrogen to helium and thus give off tremendous amounts of energy. RED GIANT STAR • These are aging stars that are past their main sequence phase. • They can be 100 x larger. WHITE DWARF STAR • This happens when a main sequence star is at the end of its life cycle. • It no longer has any more nuclear reactions taking place. • It will shine bright until it calms down. RED DWARF STAR •The most common kind of star in the Universe. •They are cooler than the Sun. •They burn very slowly. NEUTRON STAR •These are stars that die in a catastrophic supernova explosion. •Completely composed of neutrons at the core. SUPER GIANT STAR • Largest stars in the Universe. • These burn out within just a few million years. • Detonate as a supernova and disintegrate in the process. FAMOUS STARS • VY Canis Majoris- Largest known star in the Universe → Red Hypergiant Star • Betelgeus- ninth brightest star in the Universe → Red Supergiant • UY Scuti- also considered to be the largest known star → Red Supergiant • ETA Carniae- the most luminous star → Red Hypergiant VIDEOS ABOUT STARS • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD__sX_DvyM • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8_RnYjFvt0 • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoW8Tf7hTGA • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iujHbTvljdQ.