One of our favorite things about summer is the extended periods of daylight. We can all use extra sunshine in our life. We can thank the sun for our long summer days and our hot summer days! The Sun is a pretty amazing star, but many of us don’t know that much about it. If you or your little one is interested in learning some fun facts about the sun, keep reading!
- The Sun is the Earth’s only star.
- More than one million earths could fit inside the Sun.
- Even though it’s so much larger than the Earth, the Sun is considered a medium-size star.
- The Sun travels 137 miles per second.
- If you’re curious, the Earth only travels 18.5 miles per second!
- The Sun is a yellow dwarf star.
- The Sun is really hot—10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and that’s just the outside! The core is estimated to be 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe Texas summers aren’t so bad after all.
- It takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for light from the sun to reach Earth.
- The Sun is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium.
- There are more daylight hours in the summer because the Northern Hemisphere is leaning towards the sun.
- The Sun helps regulate the Earth’s climate and seasons.
- Without the Sun, we would live in complete darkness.
Children’s Books about the Sun
Where is the Sun? by Eric Carle
This is the Sun, by Elizabeth Everett
Dear Sunshine: A Children’s Story about the Positive Impact of the Sun, by Greer Alexis Bacon
The Sun is My Favorite Star, by Frank Asch
Sun and Moon Have a Tea Party, by Yumi Heo
The Sun is pretty amazing, isn’t it? We see it every single day, but it’s easy to forget how awesome and important it really is. Be sure to share these fun sun facts with your kids!