MORE SUN QUICK FACTS
The surface of the Sun, called the photosphere, is at a temperature of about 5800 K. Sunspots are "cool" regions, only 3800 K (they look dark only by comparison with the surrounding regions). Sunspots can be very large, as much as 50,000 km in diameter. Sunspots are caused by complicated and not very well understood interactions with the Sun's magnetic field.
4.5 pounds (lbs) of sunlight fall on the earth every day.
The Sun is, at present, about 70% hydrogen and 28% helium by mass. Everything else such as metals, amount to less than 2%. This changes slowly over time as the Sun converts hydrogen to helium in its core.
If we could remove the bright, glowing surface of the Sun, we would see nothing other than blackness. Only the Sun's outer surface shines brightly. The inside of the Sun is in complete darkness.
The Sun visible to our eyes does not have a solid surface such as that of the Earth or the Moon. The visible Sun is a hot gas with a characteristic temperature of 5700 deg. K, well beyond the melting points of material on Earth. Nevertheless, we see only its very outer layers because the gas is opaque. |
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