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Our solar system revolves around the sun, which is so big that 1.3 million Earths could fit inside it. In addition to its prominence in the solar system, the sun also provides most of life's energy needs. The sun makes up about 98 percent of the mass of the entire solar system. In addition, its core gets so hot (about 15 million degrees Celsius) that it creates thousands of nuclear reactions every minute. The Sun is also the most readily available source of energy for Earth, has been for billions of years, and should continue to provide most of Earth's energy for billions more, according to solarviews.com. The sun produces 3.8 x 10 to the power of 33 ergs of energy per second. To put that in perspective, this amount of energy could melt a 2-mile by 1-mile-thick ice bridge that extends from Earth to the sun in under a second, according to NASA scientist Dr. Louis Barbier. Because of its relatively close proximity, Earth gets nearly all of its heat from the un. In addition, all plants depend on energy from the Susn to help them produce their own food in a process called photosynthesis. Because of its intensity and abundance, the sun will likely provide even more energy to humanity through the use of solar power systems, which convert sunlight into electricity. Energy Information Administration: Solar NASA: How Much Power Does the Sun Produce? Columbia University: Solar Radiation and the Earth's Energy Balance.Identification
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