Download Masters for Explore the Sun Cards (PDF, 2.88 MB) Download Artwork for Sun in a Different Light Banner (PDF, 2.29 MB) Download Masters for FULL Set of 30 Energy Cards (PDF, 3.54 MB) Space Weather PowerPoint The Magnetic Connection Activity Where Does the Energy Come From? The short answer is that it is big. NASA has found a better way. The days of us relying on solar power and rocket fuel for colonizing Mars are numbered. Because that energy comes from the strong nuclear force, fusion requires nuclei to come very close to each other. Then it travels onward to the photosphere, where it emits heat, charged particles, and light. In 2013, NASA… Though massive, the Sun still isn’t as large as other types of stars. In fact, the pressure is so intense, and the density so great, that the hydrogen atoms collide with enough force that they literally meld into a new element—helium. NASA Space Place – Where Does the Sun’s Energy Come From? If it were smaller, it would be just be a sphere of hydrogen, like Jupiter. Every 1.5 millionths of a second the Sun releases more energy than all humans consume in an entire year. Play Helios: A Game About How the Sun Makes Energy! Over the same period, global temperature has risen markedly. This process—called nuclear fusion—releases energy while creating a chain reaction that allows it to occur over and over and over again. That heat powers the chemical reactions that make life possible on Earth, allows gases and liquids to exist on many planets and moons, and causes icy comets to form fiery halos. Space Place in a Snap! The energy travels outward through a large area called the convective zone. But the sun is much bigger than Jupiter. The Sun is located at the center of our solar system, and Earth orbits 93 million miles away from it. Posted on October 11, 2014 3:10 pm - Leave a Comment - Posted by Damian Allis Poster’s Note: One of the many under-appreciated aspects of NASA is the extent to which it publishes quality science content for … Then it travels onward to the photosphere, where it emits heat, charged particles, and light. The Sun has begun a new cycle. With data from NASA's SORCE mission, researchers should be able to follow how the Sun affects our climate now and in the future. NASA’s award-winning Space Place website engages upper-elementary-aged children in space and Earth science through interactive games, hands-on activities, fun articles and short videos. Over the same period, global temperature has risen markedly. And THAT means there is a whole lot of pressure inside of it. On Aug. 20, 2014, the ISS was flying past North America when it flew over the dazzling, green blue lights of an aurora, caused by a giant explosion, a CME, on the sun 5 days earlier. With material in both English and Spanish and numerous resources for kids, parents and teachers, Space Place has something for everyone. Solar activity follows a roughly 11-year cycle. This process—called nuclear fusion—releases energy while creating a chain reaction that allows it to occur over and over and over again. It gets as hot as 15 million degrees Fahrenheit in the sun’s core. But it is a special star for those of you who live on Earth, because you are so close to it that it appears extremely bright. The amount of solar energy that Earth receives has followed the Sun’s natural 11-year cycle of small ups and downs with no net increase since the 1950s. The energy travels outward through a large area called the convective zone. It would take 433,333 Jupiters to fill it up! The Sun's magnetic field spreads throughout the solar system via the solar wind. Help the big antennas gather data from the spacecraft. 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