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Sun

The closest star to the Earth and the center of the solar system.

Resources

Facts and Figures June 10, 2010
A giant plume of hot gas explodes from the Sun's surface. Giant bubbles of hot g

Our Star, the Sun June 8, 2006

Featured Images

an x-flare erupts from the sun

X Flare! November 29, 2023
An explosion from the surface of the Sun

Blowing Bubbles June 12, 2023
new images of sunspots

Stormy Sun May 27, 2023
the Sun in December 2019, at solar minimum

Livelier Sun May 1, 2023
mine explosion in vietnam

Solar Booms August 4, 2022
Sun from Solar Dynamics Observatory

Changing Sun May 31, 2022
eruption on the Sun

Unexpected Storm April 12, 2022
parker solar probe enters the corona

Heating Up February 28, 2022
giant solar flare

Zap! January 23, 2022
New York Railroad Storm, 1921

Nasty Storm May 12, 2021
A solar flare erupting on April 22, 2021

A Big Blast April 22, 2021
Life cycle of the Sun

Lifetime of a Star January 25, 2021
The Sun above Earth from the ISS

Close to the Sun January 2, 2021
Harqua Hala Observatory, Arizona

'Devil's' Observatory? December 26, 2020
Artistic idea of a planet imaged through a solar gravitational lens

Long-Range Scanner September 28, 2020
A triple comet near the Sun

Seeing Triple August 14, 2020
Ultraviolet images of the Sun from Solar Orbiter

Here Comes the Sun July 17, 2020
Gray whale off the California coast

Deadly Sun May 22, 2020
Solar Orbiter views the Sun

Catching Fire February 4, 2020
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

New Eye on the Sun January 23, 2020
Coronal mass ejection from the Sun

Nasty Outburst June 17, 2019
Solar storm, May 2019

Storm to Storm May 15, 2019
Sketches of the total solar eclipse of August 1868

Solar Discovery August 17, 2018
Artist's concept of Parker Solar Probe observing the Sun

Hot Destination July 30, 2018
Sunspots

Dark Storms May 18, 2018
Powerful solar flare, September 6, 2017

Solar Storm September 6, 2017
Solar eclipse sequence

Anatomy of an Eclipse August 20, 2017
The Sun sets behind a NASA WB-57F Canberra research aircraft

Chasing a Shadow August 17, 2017
The Sun's corona shines around the intervening Moon during a total solar eclipse

Solar Mystery August 16, 2017
A 2015 solar flare

Scary Storm May 28, 2017
Betelgeuse, Aldebaran, and the Sun

Seeing Orange April 1, 2017

Major Storm March 23, 2017
ALMA view of a sunspot

Giant Storm January 19, 2017
View of a doomed comet approaching the Sun

Doomed Comet January 20, 2016
Space-based view of a powerful solar flare

Big Blast January 18, 2016
Comet ISON has disintegrated

Comet Fizzles? September 14, 2015
Artist's concept of Earth's distant future

Bright Future April 29, 2015
Image of a powerful solar flare on March 11, 2015

Solar Flare March 12, 2015
Artist's concept of Solar Max in orbit

Sun Watcher February 14, 2015
A brilliant aurora from the International Space Station

Fiery Sky January 21, 2015

Radio Programs

X Flares The Sun’s “X” factor November 29, 2023

Brighter Sun The Sun gets a lot brighter November 28, 2023

Heliosphere Looking for the edge of a bubble October 16, 2023

Pesky Auroras The Sun makes a nuisance of itself September 9, 2023

Moon and Aldebaran A preview of coming attractions September 5, 2023

Earth at Aphelion An important astronomical yardstick July 6, 2023

Unruly Sun The Sun gets a little unruly May 1, 2023

Solar Rain Watching it rain — on the Sun March 16, 2023

Gustav Spörer Learning about solar “naps” October 23, 2022

Moon and Aldebaran The “puffy” future of the Sun October 13, 2022

Matching Storms The Sun helps El Niño August 8, 2022

Solar Trigger Big explosions trigger smaller ones August 4, 2022

Charles Greeley Abbot A Sun-watcher ahead of his time May 31, 2022

Moon and Spica Bigger Moon, warmer Earth April 15, 2022

Active Stars Stars with “active” lifestyles March 16, 2022

Taking a Dive A spacecraft dives into the Sun February 28, 2022

Bernard Lyot Studying the “extended” Sun February 27, 2022

Mars and the Beehive Looking at a place where suns were born June 23, 2021

New York Railroad Storm Stormy days for railroads and telegraphs May 12, 2021

Solar Sneezes Nasty “sneezes” from the Sun May 11, 2021

‘Gassy’ Sun The recipe for a star May 10, 2021

Spoerer Minimum A time when the Sun was quiet March 23, 2021

Seeing Sunspots Counting future spots on the Sun March 22, 2021

Stellar Magnets Turning stars into magnets February 9, 2021

Closer and Closer Spiraling closer to the Sun January 16, 2021

Desert Station Sun-watching from the desert December 26, 2020

Sunquakes A possible trigger for earthquakes October 23, 2020

More Aquarius A pair of yellow supergiants October 11, 2020

Deadly Sun Deadly consequences of solar storms May 22, 2020

Solar Minimum The Sun stays especially quiet April 10, 2020

Bright Subject Aiming a camera at a bright subject April 2, 2020

Helioseismology Listening in on the Sun February 7, 2020

Windy Sun A gusty breeze from the Sun February 6, 2020

Superflares Super outbursts from the Sun February 5, 2020

Solar Orbiter Flying into the solar wind February 4, 2020

Solar Telescope Watching the Sun from the house of the Sun January 23, 2020

Living on the Sun Living on the face of the Sun January 22, 2020

Changing Sun A big change for the Sun September 14, 2019

Solar Twin A star that looks familiar August 26, 2019

Big Storm A big storm on the Sun June 17, 2019

Hot Ride A hot ride for a spacecraft April 3, 2019

Solar Minimum The Sun takes it easy April 2, 2019

Chara Looking into the Sun’s future March 25, 2019

The Dominator Dominating the solar system March 17, 2019

More G Stars A rare class of stars October 21, 2018

Solar Discovery Discovering a key part of the Sun August 17, 2018

Probing the Sun Soaring close to the Sun July 30, 2018

16 Cygni Two Sun-like stars in a single system July 3, 2018

Solar Twin A young “twin” of the Sun June 1, 2018

Cosmic Hazards If it’s not one thing, it’s another May 31, 2018

Dark Storms Dark storms on the surface of the Sun May 18, 2018

Life of the Sun Our constantly changing Sun December 9, 2017

More Eclipse Science Chasing a shadow from the sky August 17, 2017

Eclipse Science Studying a solar mystery August 16, 2017

Storm Damage Risks from storms on the Sun June 23, 2017

Quiet Sun A long period of rest for the Sun June 22, 2017

Busy Sun Some busy years for the Sun June 21, 2017

Star War Solar storms and a military alert May 29, 2017

Quiet Sun Cosmic bombardment in tree rings April 5, 2017

Storm Impact Projecting damages from a big storm March 23, 2017

Making Elements II Making elements in the hearts of stars March 7, 2017

Loud Sun Listening in on the Sun February 27, 2017