Cosmic Cycle: The Sun

Born from a swirling cloud of dust and gas some 4.6 billion years ago, our Sun seethes and boils like a living thing. It is the very center of our solar system, and large enough to encompass 1.3 million Earths. Explosions flash on its surface in colors of light beyond human vision and enormous loops of plasma stretch into space. The Sun’s influence extends out beyond the planets, creating a protective cocoon within the galaxy.