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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