According to scientists, our Sun is currently about 4.6 billion years old, and it has been shining for what seems like an eternal period that will continue for another 5 billion years before it comes to an end.
The Importance of the Sun
The Sun is a star, and we depend on it for survival. It is the foundation of all life on Earth, providing light and heat, which helps plants to photosynthesize, thereby producing oxygen and food.
The Sun is one of the key elements for human survival.
The Sun is also a crucial factor for the movement of the Earth, guiding its rotation and maintaining the changing of the seasons and climate. Additionally, it affects the Earth through solar winds and the phenomenon of coronal mass ejections.
Solar winds are caused by hot gases expelled from the Sun, carrying strong magnetic fields and electric charges that can affect the Earth’s ionosphere, causing disruptions in radio communications.
Coronal mass ejections are phenomena where plasma from the Sun is expelled into space. These materials impact the Earth’s magnetic field and ionosphere, leading to geomagnetic storms and auroras on Earth.
So have you ever wondered why the Sun can burn brightly in space—a zero-gravity environment without oxygen?
The Reason the Sun Can Burn Continuously Without Oxygen
Burning is a chemical reaction that occurs in the presence of oxygen, releasing energy in the form of heat, where carbon atoms combine with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). Additionally, hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen to create water. The combustion reactions we see daily on Earth are carbon combustion, which requires oxygen to sustain. When oxygen runs out, the combustion process stops.
However, the shining of the Sun is not a chemical combustion reaction as we know it; rather, it is a form of nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion does not require oxygen, so the Sun does not burn using oxygen like in traditional combustion; it functions more like a gigantic hydrogen bomb that has been shining for billions of years.
In nuclear fusion, atomic nuclei combine to form larger new nuclei. The structure and properties of an atom are determined by the nucleus it comprises; thus, when the nucleus changes, the atom forms a new element. For example, two hydrogen atoms combine to form one helium atom.
Two primary forces act on the nuclei in a nuclear fusion reaction: electromagnetic repulsion and nuclear gravitational force. This reaction does not require additional materials; it only needs sufficiently high temperature or pressure to overcome the electromagnetic repulsion, allowing nuclei to come together and form a new nucleus.
Image of the Sun’s surface.
For instance, to create high pressure and temperature in a nuclear bomb, one detonates other bombs. Similarly, in a nuclear reactor, high pressure and temperature can be achieved by inserting electromagnetic waves or supplying additional high-energy particles.
In the case of nuclear fusion occurring in stars like the Sun, high pressure and temperature are generated by immense gravitational force. The process of nuclear fusion here occurs from the fusion of hydrogen with itself or with other light elements. Therefore, stars with sufficient mass to create strong gravitational forces can facilitate nuclear fusion.
This reaction produces an enormous amount of heat energy and light, like our Sun today or the stars we observe in the sky. The surface temperature of the Sun is about 5,000 degrees Celsius, while the core temperature reaches about 16 million degrees Celsius, with core pressure up to 25 trillion N/m2.
Moreover, the energy from the combustion process of stars will continue to sustain their nuclear fusion until the helium in the core is fully consumed, leading to collapse into white dwarfs or resulting in supernova explosions if the star is sufficiently massive.
The Importance of the Sun to the Universe
Firstly, the Sun is one of the most fundamental factors for the existence of life on Earth. The solar energy formed from the nuclear fusion process continues in the Sun’s core, generating a large amount of energy.
This energy radiates from the Sun’s surface in the form of light, providing the necessary energy for life on Earth. Additionally, the Sun can supply essential components needed for life, such as oxygen and nitrogen. Thus, the Sun is crucial for life on Earth.
The Sun’s activity also affects Earth and other celestial bodies.
Secondly, the Sun has a significant impact on planets, moons, and other celestial bodies in the asteroid belt of the Solar System. The Sun’s gravitational force affects the orbits of planets and satellites; for instance, the Moon continuously orbits the Earth due to the Sun’s gravitational influence.
The Sun can also affect the formation and degradation of planetary atmospheres; for example, Mars has lost a large part of its atmosphere due to a lack of a strong magnetic field. Furthermore, the Sun can influence the motion of asteroids, leading to meteor showers or asteroid impacts on Earth, severely affecting the Earth’s living environment.
Thirdly, the Sun is also one of the essential subjects for humans to study the universe. The unique particle and magnetic field environment of the Sun provides opportunities to research physical phenomena such as solar winds, cosmic radiation, and imbalances.
The Sun’s activities will also influence Earth and other celestial bodies in the Solar System, making the study of the Sun crucial for a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of other celestial bodies in the Solar System.
Finally, the Sun’s importance to the universe is also reflected in its influence on cosmic rays. Solar winds are high-energy charged particles released by the Sun; part of the solar wind is reflected back by the external environment of the Solar System, creating cosmic rays. Studying cosmic rays is immensely significant for understanding the evolution, origin, and energy distribution of the universe.
