• Question: is the sun hot

    Asked by 10alecotr3 to Ben, Clare, Ezzy, Mario, Sam on 15 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Sam Vinko

      Sam Vinko answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Its pretty much the hottest thing around, appart from other stars further out in the universe.
      The surface of the Sun is at ~ 6000 degrees, so hot, but perhaps not too impressive. The centre of the Sun is far more impressive, at a temperature of about 16 million degrees!

    • Photo: Clare Burrage

      Clare Burrage answered on 15 Mar 2012:

      Very! The Sun gets all it’s energy from nuclear fusion, which turns hydrogen into helium and releases a lot of energy along the way. Eventually the Sun will run out of fuel for nuclear fusion and then it will become a red giant star which are much cooler.

    • Photo: Elizabeth Pearson

      Elizabeth Pearson answered on 15 Mar 2012:

      The sun is really hot, about 6000C at the surface like Sam said, but its actually quite a small star. Most are bigger and hotter, expecially at the center. When stars run out of fule though they expand into a red giant, which is much cooler on the surface so big doesn’t always mean hot.

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