The Sun is a star found at the center of the Solar System. At around 1,392,000 kilometers (865,000 miles) wide, the Sun’s diameter is about 110 times wider than Earth’s.
Around 74% of the Sun’s mass is made up of hydrogen. Helium makes up around 24% while heavier elements such as oxygen, carbon, iron, and neon make up the remaining percentage. The Sun generates huge amounts of energy by combining hydrogen nuclei with helium. This process is called nuclear fusion.
The Sun’s surface temperature is around 5500 degrees Celsius (9941 degrees Fahrenheit). The Sun’s core is around 13600000 degrees Celsius. The average distance from the Sun to the Earth is around 150 million kilometers. Light from the Sun reaches Earth in around 8 minutes.
Because of the Sun’s huge influence on Earth, many early cultures saw the Sun as a deity or god. For example, Ancient Egyptians had a sun god called Ra while in Aztec mythology there is a sun god named Tonatiuh.
What is the average distance from the Sun to the Earth?