Facts About The Sun

Think you know everything there is to know about the Sun? Think again. Here are 10 interesting facts about the Sun, collected in no particular order. Some you might already know, and others will be totally new to you. Interesting facts after the break...

1. The Sun is the Solar System.

We live on the planet, so we think it's an equal member of the Solar System. But that couldn't be further from the truth. The reality is that the mass of the Sun accounts for 99.8% of the mass of the Solar System. And most of that final 0.2% comes from Jupiter. So the mass of the Earth is a fraction of a fraction of the mass of the Solar System. Really, we barely exist.

2. And the Sun is mostly hydrogen and helium.

If you could take apart the Sun and pile up its different elements, you'd find that 74% of its mass comes from hydrogen, with 24% helium. The remaining 2% includes trace amounts of iron, nickel, oxygen, and all the other elements we have in the Solar System. In other words, the Solar System is mostly made of hydrogen.

3. The Sun is pretty bright.

Solar Tower for the 2016 Olympic Games - Rio de Janeiro

The challenge was to design a vertical structure on the island of Cotonduba that in addition to serving as an observation tower would become a symbol of welcome to newcomers in Rio either by sea or by air once it has been host city of 2016 Olympic Games.

Designed by RAFA firm headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, it is called "Solar City Tower, this structure was chosen in response to the initial proposal and it has the potential to generate enough energy not only for the Olympic city, but also for part of the city of Rio.