The sun news, features and articles

The sun is the beating heart of our solar system and supports all life on Earth. At Live Science, you can learn more about this precious star as it reaches a major peak in solar activity called a solar maximum. Whether it's the dazzling "shooting stars" discovered in the sun's atmosphere, a massive solar explosion felt on Earth, the most devastating solar storm in recorded history, or just spectacular images of the sun, our expert writers and editors will have you in awe of that bright ball in the sky with the latest sun news, features and articles.
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—The sun: Facts about the bright star at the center of the solar system
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Friday the 13th solar storm could bring auroras to 18 US states this weekend
By Harry Baker published
Space weather experts warn that a "moderate" geomagnetic storm could rock Earth over the weekend, potentially lighting the skies with vibrant auroras across large parts of the U.S. and Europe.

Bottom of the sun becomes visible to humans for the first time in history (photos)
By Brandon Specktor published
For the first time, scientists have imaged the elusive south pole of the sun. The images captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft reveal our star's magnetic field is a powder keg ready to blow.

When is the summer solstice in 2025? It depends on your time zone.
By Jamie Carter published
The summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, falls on June 20 this year in North America.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe spots powerful magnetic explosion aimed at the sun's surface
By Damien Pine published
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has directly observed a powerful magnetic explosion in the sun's corona that could help us predict geomagnetic storms on Earth.

The sun: Facts about the bright star at the center of the solar system
By Marilyn Perkins, Robert Lea published
Discover interesting facts about the sun, the solar system's central star that supports all life on Earth.

Space photo of the week: Pink 'raindrops' on the sun captured in greatest detail ever
By Jamie Carter published
Solar scientists have unveiled spectacular new images of plasma "rain" in the sun's corona using adaptive optics.

Giant 'senior citizen' sunspot on 3rd trip around the sun could break a century-old record
By Harry Baker published
A large sunspot has just reappeared on the sun's Earth-facing surface, almost two months after it first emerged. The unusually old dark patch remains stable and could be on course to become the longest-lived sunspot on record, experts claim.
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