The Sun
The Sun is the star at the heart of our solar system. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything — from the biggest planets to the smallest bits of debris — in its orbit.
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Overview
The Sun's gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything – from the biggest planets to the smallest particles of debris – in its orbit. The connection and interactions between the Sun and Earth drive the seasons, ocean currents, weather, climate, radiation belts and auroras. Though it is special to us, there are billions of stars like our Sun scattered across the Milky Way galaxy.
The Sun has many names in many cultures. The Latin word for Sun is “sol,” which is the main adjective for all things Sun-related: solar.
NASA's New STORIE Mission to Launch Soon
NASA is preparing to launch a mission designed to provide a unique, inside-out view of the ring current.
Called STORIE (Storm Time O+ Ring current Imaging Evolution), it is scheduled to launch in May aboard the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The mission is flying as part of the Space Test Program – Houston 11 (STP-H11) payload, a partnership between the U.S. Space Force and NASA.
Once it is robotically installed on the exterior of the space station (expected a few days after its arrival), STORIE will look outward at the ring current, helping scientists answer longstanding questions about how it grows and shrinks and what kind of particles it’s made of.
Pop Culture
The Sun has inspired us since ancient times. It’s central to mythology and religion in cultures around the world, including the ancient Egyptians, the Aztecs of Mexico, Native American tribes of North and South America, the Chinese, and many others.
Countless musicians have written songs about the Sun. The Beatles had a hit in 1969 with “Here Comes the Sun.” Other popular songs that reference the Sun include: “Walkin’ on the Sun” by Smashmouth; “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers; “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves; “Pocketful of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield; and “Let the Sunshine In” by the Fifth Dimension.
If you're Superman or a fellow Kryptonian of comic book fame, your powers are heightened by the yellow glow of our Sun. There are several science fiction films featuring the Sun in the storyline.
To Protect Artemis II Astronauts, NASA Experts Keep Eyes on Sun
As four astronauts travel around the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II mission, they will venture beyond Earth’s protective magnetic field. The crew’s…
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NASA HEAT - Resources for Educators
The Sun can provide a fun and exciting laboratory for exploring magnetism, gravity, light, energy, and much more! Learn how to integrate heliophysics concepts and resources into existing educational and outreach activities with the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (NASA HEAT).
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The Sungrazer Project
Want to be a part of science and discovery? Join this research effort to hunt for comets that pass close to the Sun.
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