Reading Science

The Sun: Important to Our Earth

Have you ever looked up into the sky on a clear night? Were you able to see the stars? Our galaxy has over 100 billion stars in it! But, did you know that you can see one star during the day? You can, because the Sun is a star!

Like other stars, the Sun is made up of gases. It is mostly made up of two gases. They are called helium and hydrogen. Hydrogen turns into helium, giving off massive, or large, amounts of energy This energy is the reason why the Sun shines.

The Sun is important to life on Earth. In fact, life could not exist without it. It provides us with light, energy, seasons, day and night, and our weather.

But, let’s take a closer look at how the Sun affects our Earth.

Energy
The center of the Sun is called the core. This is where the Sun’s heat is created. The heat is so great that it makes light. This is the light that supports life on Earth. Plants on Earth use this light to create food that animals and humans then eat.

Seasons
The Earth orbits, or travels around, the Sun once every 365 days. During this time, some areas of the Earth are tilted toward the Sun. Those parts get more direct light and heat. This light and heat cause them to have spring and summer. The other parts are tilted away from the Sun. They get less direct light and heat. They will have fall and winter.