Did you know?
Our Giant Star
by
Sophie Walker
Do you know that the brightest thing in our sky is actually a giant star? This star is called the Sun. Today, a young girl named Nova and her glowing guide, Flare, are going on a bright adventure to learn all about it.
Did you know how big the Sun is? It is much bigger than the Earth! Flare shows Nova that if the Sun were a huge beach ball, the Earth would be as tiny as a little pea. One million Earths could fit inside the Sun!
Can you guess why you feel warm on a sunny day? The Sun sends out heat. Even though the Sun is very far away, its warmth reaches us here on Earth. Nova puts on her sunglasses because the Sun’s heat and light are very strong.
Light is a fast traveler! Sunlight travels through space to reach our eyes. Flare explains that it takes about eight minutes for a beam of light to travel from the Sun all the way to Earth. That is very fast!
Did you know that plants “eat” sunlight? Nova watches the flowers in her garden. They use the Sun’s light to make their own food so they can grow big and tall. This special process is why we have green trees and beautiful blossoms.
I bet you didn’t know we can catch the Sun’s energy, too! Flare points to the shiny blue panels on a roof. These are solar panels. They take the Sun’s light and turn it into electricity to power our lights and computers.
The Earth is always moving. Nova and Flare look at a model of the solar system. The Earth travels in a giant circle around the Sun. This long journey takes one whole year to finish!
The Sun is a giant ball of gas! It is not solid like the Earth. Flare describes the center of the Sun, which is like a glowing engine. It is millions of degrees hot and creates all the energy we need.
The Sun has a powerful “grip”. This is called gravity. Nova sees how the Sun’s gravity pulls on the planets, keeping them in their orbits. Without the Sun’s gravity, the Earth would just float away into the dark!
Did you know we couldn’t live without our star? The Sun gives us light to see, heat to stay warm, and energy to grow. Nova and Flare wave goodbye to the Sun as it sets, knowing it will be back tomorrow.
