Module 6: The Sun

Studying the Sun has given you knowledge about the largest body in the Solar System. When you began this module, you may have thought of the Sun as a large ball of gas held together by gravity. But really, the Sun is made up of different layers, each with its own defining characteristics. And yes, the Sun is violent, with its occasional eruptions and coronal mass ejections.

The Sun has always supported the existence and the continuation of life on the Earth. Throughout time, the amount of knowledge about the Sun has drastically improved and continues to improve day by day. Scientists theorize that the Sun will continue to produce energy through fusion and provide the Earth with the energy to survive until all of the hydrogen has turned into heaver elements many billions of years from now.