August 4, 2020

Staying on the Sunny Side of Life

Hello friends,

I hope you are all doing well, feeling healthy, and enjoying the Summer. I’m certain I’m not alone when I say I’m trying to keep things sunny and bright during these trying & turbulent times here on planet Earth! With the constant barrage of information flying at us faster than the speed of light, it can be a bit difficult. Our lives and daily routines have all changed and it’s hard to keep up with news, (of any kind/source), trying to discern fact vs. fiction, figuring out what makes sense for us individually, and/or for our families.

No matter what you’ve been through, we want you to know that you, our clients, are like family to us and you all definitely brighten our days. Our conversations and shared experiences are a joy and we are so thankful to have them, and you. There have been some dark days for many of us this year and we sure do miss seeing your smiling faces.

While reflecting on that, I felt the need to share something light and bright this time. That said, here are 10 need-to-know things about my favorite yellow dwarf star…. the Sun!

  1. Biggest
    If the Sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be about the size of a nickel. ​
  2. Most Massive
    The Sun is the center of our solar system and makes up 99.8% of the mass of the entire solar system.
  3. Different Spins
    At the equator, the Sun spins once about every 25 days. But at its poles, the Sun rotates on its axis every 35 Earth days.
  4. Can’t Stand On It
    As a star, the Sun is a ball of gas (92.1 percent hydrogen and 7.8 percent helium) held together by its own gravity.
  5. Ringless
    The Sun does not have any rings.
  6. Under Study
    Many spacecrafts are constantly observing the Sun, helping us keep an eye on space weather that can affect satellites and astronauts.
  7. Energy For Life
    Without the Sun’s intense energy, there would be no life on Earth.
  8. Nuclear Fusion
    The Sun’s core is about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15 million degrees Celsius).
  9. Moonless
    The Sun is orbited by eight planets, at least five dwarf planets, tens of thousands of asteroids, and up to three trillion comets and icy bodies.
  10. What We See
    The Sun’s visible surface sometimes has dark sunspots, which are areas of intense magnetic activity that can lead to solar explosions.

Don’t keep these sunny facts to yourself, here’s a kid-friendly version too!

  • The Sun is a star. There are lots of stars, but the Sun is the closest to Earth and it is the center of our solar system.
  • The Sun is a hot ball of glowing gases. It keeps our planet warm enough for living things to thrive, and it gives us light so we can see.
  • The Sun is 4,500,000,000 years old. That’s a lot of zeroes. That’s four and a half billion!
  • Eight planets move around the Sun. We call that an orbit. The planets are:  Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Lots of smaller worlds orbit the Sun. Pluto is a dwarf planet beyond Neptune. There are many asteroids and comets that go around the Sun, too.

NASA Sun NASA Sun

 

 

 

Sources:

NASA Solar System Exploration: Our Sun – https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/overview/#ten_things_to_know_about_the_sun_otp

NASA Science Space Place – https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/sun/

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