The sun is shining because the sun is very hot. Did you know that the core of the Sun can reach temperatures of up to 15 million degrees Celsius?
The Sun is so hot that it can emit its own light. This very hot temperature is caused by a process in the core of the Sun called a nuclear fusion reaction.
Nuclear fusion reaction is the process of converting hydrogen into helium. This process is a great source of energy and allows the Sun to shine for billions of years.
Four hydrogen nuclei will undergo fusion into a single helium nucleus and will be accompanied by the release of energy. The fusion of one kilogram of hydrogen into helium would generate 630 trillion joules of energy.
Albert Einstein found the formula that energy can be created from a small mass. This formula is very well known, that is, E=mc2, where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light. The energy produced is what will keep the Sun shining.
Since when has the sun been shining?
The Sun has been shining for 4.6 billion years, launching Cool Cosmos by Caltech Education. Experts estimate that the Sun will continue to shine for the next 5 billion years.
Also read: Corona, the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere
Will the sun stop shining?
Yes, one day the sun will stop shining. However, as long as the Sun has hydrogen for nuclear fusion reactions, the Sun will continue to shine.
After the next 5 billion years, hydrogen as fuel for the Sun is expected to be exhausted. At that point the Sun would stop undergoing nuclear fusion reactions and would cease to shine.
the sun will enter a phase red giant Or the red giant. This phase is the phase where the Sun begins to burn off the remaining helium and the Sun’s surface. This phase will make the Sun bigger and redder. It is estimated that the magnitude can reach Venus or Earth. Then, the Sun will become a dead star.
