Information about the Sun. Interesting facts about the sun

Bright sunlight is a source of excellent mood and cheerfulness. In cloudy weather, many people feel depressed, succumb to depression. Despite this, everyone knows that the bad weather will end soon, and the sun will appear in the sky. It is familiar to people from the very childhood, and very few people think about what this shone is. The most famous information about the Sun is that it is a star. However, there are many more interesting facts that can be of interest to both children and adults.

What is the Sun?

Now everyone already knows that the Sun is a star, and not a huge glowing sphere resembling a planet. It is a cloud of gases with a core inside. The main component of this star is hydrogen, which occupies about 92% of its total volume. Approximately 7% is in helium, and the remaining percentage is shared among themselves by other elements. These include iron, oxygen, nickel, silicon, sulfur and others.

Most of the star's energy is produced as a result of the thermonuclear synthesis of helium from hydrogen. Information about the Sun collected by scientists allows us to classify it as G2V by spectral classification. This type is called the "yellow dwarf". In this case, the sun, contrary to popular belief, shines with white light. The yellow glow appears as a result of dispersion and absorption by the atmosphere of our planet of the short-wave part of the spectrum of its rays. Our sun - the Sun - is an integral part of the Milky Way galaxy. From its center the star is at a distance of 26,000 light years, and one revolution around it occupies 225-250 million years.

Solar radiation

The Sun and the Earth are separated by a distance of 149600 thousand kilometers. Despite this, solar radiation is the main source of energy on the planet. Through the atmosphere of the Earth does not pass all its volume. The energy of the Sun is used by plants in the processes of photosynthesis. In this way, various organic compounds are formed and oxygen is released. Solar radiation is also used to generate electricity. Even the energy reserves of peat and other minerals appeared long ago under the influence of the rays of this bright star. The ultraviolet radiation of the Sun deserves special attention. It has the properties of antiseptic, it can be used for water disinfection. Influences ultraviolet radiation and biological processes in the human body, causing the appearance of tanning on the skin, as well as the production of vitamin D.

Life Cycle of the Sun

Our sun - the Sun - is a young star, belonging to the third generation. It contains a large number of metals, which indicates the formation of it from other stars of previous generations. According to scientists, the Sun has about 4.57 billion years. Given that the life cycle of a star is 10 billion years, now it is in its middle. At this stage, the thermonuclear synthesis of helium from hydrogen occurs in the core of the Sun. Gradually, the amount of hydrogen will decrease, the star will be hotter, and its luminosity will be higher. Then the hydrogen reserves in the nucleus will run out completely, part of it will pass into the outer shell of the Sun, and the helium will begin to thicken. Processes of extinction of the star will continue for billions of years, but still lead to its transformation first into a red giant, then into a white dwarf.

Sun and Earth

The degree of solar radiation will depend on life on our planet. After about 1 billion years, it will be so strong that the surface of the Earth will heat up considerably and become unsuitable for most forms of life, they can remain only in the depths of the oceans and in the polar latitudes. By the age of the Sun about 8 billion years, the conditions on the planet will be approximated to those that are now on Venus. There will be no water left, it will all evaporate into space. This will lead to the complete disappearance of various forms of life. As the Sun's core shrinks and its outer shell increases, the probability of absorption of our planet by the outer layers of the star's plasma will increase. This will not happen only if the Earth around the Sun rotates at a farther distance as a result of the transition to another orbit.

A magnetic field

Information about the Sun, collected by researchers, indicates that it is a magnetoactive star. The magnetic field created by it changes its direction every 11 years. Its tension also varies with time. All these transformations are called solar activity, which is characterized by special phenomena, for example, sunspots, wind, flares. They are the cause of polar auroras and geomagnetic storms, which adversely affect the operation of some instruments on Earth, people's well-being.

Solar eclipses

Information about the Sun, collected by the ancestors and has survived to this day, contains references to its eclipses from antiquity. A large number of them are also described during the Middle Ages. The solar eclipse is the result of the closing of the star by the Moon from the observer located on Earth. It can be complete, when at least from one point of our planet the sun disc is completely hidden, and partial. In a year there are usually two to five eclipses. At a certain point of the Earth, they arise with a time difference of 200-300 years. Lovers look at the sky, the Sun can also see an annular eclipse. The moon closes the disk of the star, but because of the smaller diameter it can not eclipse it completely. As a result, the "fire" ring remains noticeable.

It is worth remembering that watching the Sun with the naked eye, especially with binoculars or a telescope, is very dangerous. This can lead to irreversible visual impairment. The sun is relatively close to the surface of our planet and shines very brightly. Without a threat to the health of the eye, you can only look at it during sunrises and sunsets. For the rest of the time, you need to use special dimming filters or project an image to a white screen using a telescope. This method is the most acceptable.