--Universe Forum--Our Place In Space--Tour
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The Universe Forum's role as part of NASA's Education Support Network concluded in September, 2009. Please visit NASA at http://nasascience.nasa.gov/ for current information about NASA's science, education, and public outreach activities.

   
exploring: our place in space > our sun
 

The nearest star is our Sun.

Planet Earth orbits around a magnificent star: the Sun. Shining steadily for about five billion years, the Sun's constant light and warmth have enabled life on Earth to flourish. But within another five billion years, the Sun's nuclear furnace will begin to cool, and eventually the great adventure of life on Earth will come to an end.

Our Sun is a bit unusual: Most stars are part of "multiple star systems" — two or more stars that orbit each other. If we lived near a more typical star, we might see several suns in the sky!

Top: A giant flare, many times larger than Earth, leaps from the surface of the Sun.

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link to the fate of stars

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