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.
