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The Sun

Rotation: The outer layers of the Sun rotate once in ~25 days (rotation is slower at the poles).

Temperature: ~27,000,000°F in the center, ~10,000°F at the visible surface

Diameter: 865,000 miles, or wider than 100 Earths

The Sun is made up of gas, with no solid surface.

The Sun, the star at the center of our solar system, gives off the light and heat that make life possible on Earth. The Sun is a huge ball of very hot gas, and is much bigger than any of the planets. All the planets in the solar system revolve in the same direction around the Sun. Never look directly at the Sun, because it will hurt your eyes! The Sun looks yellowish from Earth.

The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://www.windows.ucar.edu/ at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). ©1995-1999, 2000 The Regents of the University of Michigan; ©2000-04 University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer