Sun - Sol - Resources Dealing With the Sun

We were all told at a very young age not to stare at the Sun because it could harm our eyes. While this wisdom is worth following, the surface of the Sun has some brilliant features upon it that are worth studying. And, luckily, technology exists to allow us to analyze these phenomena. Sunspots are dark dark circles on the Sun's surface, created...

Several years ago a theory was proposed that sounded more science fiction than science. What if our Sun was actually part of a binary system. Only this other star is very small and barely luminous so we can't readily detect it. Eventually this star would enter the inner part of our solar system, potentially destroying all life on Earth as we know it. Far fetched? Well what was once the stuff of f…

Discover Sun Pictures and images in this Sun Pictures Gallery. These Sun pictures are tell a story about our galactic neighborhood and the closest star, our sun.

Your eyes are very important and are also very vulnerable. We've always been told that looking directly at the sun is unsafe. So is looking at the sun during most eclipses. It is only safe to do so during the few brief seconds or minutes of a total solar eclipse. Partial eclipses, annular eclipses and the partial phase of a total aclipse are never safe to vew directly without taking precautions. Failure to use appropriate filtration may result in permanent eye damage or blindness!

Our Sun has inspired mythology in almost all cultures, including ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Native Americans, and Chinese. Our Sun is actually the closest star to Earth. The Sun is a massive shining sphere of hot gas. The connection and interaction between the Sun and the Earth drive the seasons, currents in the ocean, weather, and climate.

The Sun goes through an eleven year cycle of solar activity. At the peak of its solar activity, known as solar maximum, the Sun can unleash massive amounts of energy and extremely high energy particle fluxes that can reek havoc on electrical systems on Earth. As we approach the next solar maximum, should we be worried?

NASA is predicting that the coming solar maximum could produce very energetic solar flares and coronal mass ejecta. These events have the potential to cause significant damage to our power grid as well as our orbiting satellites. But how do we know what to expect?

Countless media outlets have been reporting that the Sun is gearing up for a massive solar storm that would disrupt communications, electronic devises and possibly power grids all over the world. Is this a sign that the 2012 prophecy is true? Was there any truth to the events in the blockbuster movie 2012?

The Sun is the central body in our solar system. It provides the energy needed for life to exist on Earth as well as the gravitational force to keep the planets in orbit. Here are the basic properties and information about the closest star to Earth.