Sun facts for kids

Meet the Sun

The Sun is a star. It looks bigger and brighter than the others because it is so much closer. It is about 150 million kilometres from Earth.

The Sun sits at the centre of our Solar System. The Sun's gravity pulls on every planet and keeps each one on its path. The Sun holds more than 99% of all the mass in the Solar System.

How big is the Sun?

The Sun is so wide that about 109 Earths could sit side by side across it. The Sun is so big that about a million Earths could fit inside it. Even so, it is not the biggest star. Plenty of stars are smaller than the Sun, but some giant stars are hundreds of times wider.

How does the Sun shine?

The Sun isn't burning like a fire. It shines because hydrogen is squeezed into helium deep inside it. Its surface is about 5,500 degrees Celsius.

How old is the Sun?

The Sun is about four and a half billion years old. The Sun is about halfway through its life, with billions of years of fuel left. In about five billion years, the Sun will swell up into a red giant.

Sunlight

Sunlight takes about 8 minutes to reach Earth. So when you look at a sunset, you're seeing the Sun as it was about 8 minutes ago.

Never look straight at the Sun, even during an eclipse. It can badly hurt your eyes.

The Sun in a nutshell

• What it is: a star
• Distance from Earth: about 150 million kilometres
• Width: about 109 Earths side by side
• Mostly made of: hydrogen
• Age: about four and a half billion years
• Its light reaches Earth in: about 8 minutes
• The next nearest star: Proxima Centauri

Quick quiz: the Sun

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