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The diameter of the Sun is 1,400,000 km (840,000
miles) which is more than 100 times the diameter
of the Earth. Its mass is more than 300,000
times that of the Earth.
History
and future of the
Naturally
occurring energy is all around us. The problem is
in collecting it. Plants do it with leaves on land
using chlorophyll to convert the Sun's rays into energy
to grow. Algae does it in the sea. There is
energy in the wind and in the waves, derived from the
Sun. Energy from the Sun reaches us across space
as radiation. Radiation is one of the most
efficient ways of transmitting energy - lucky for
us. The radiation heats the Earth's surface which
in turn creates wind and waves as the earth tries to
cool itself by convection currents. All this means
is that heated air or water tries to flow to cooler
parts of the Earth at the poles. Simple really,
but the land masses and water evaporation all go to
disturb any regular flow, and this is how weather
systems develop to be unpredictable.
The
Earth collects around 1 kilowatt of
energy per square meter from the Sun's
radiation. We can collect
this radiation (called insolation) using
photovoltaic cells, or solar
cells. If we connect a number of
these cells together we can harness
quite a bit of electricity, even
if solar cells at this time are only
10-15% efficient. As you can see
from the picture above Solar Navigator
has a large area of solar panels
arranged to face the Sun. The crew
must keep away from these panels to
prevent shading.
Solarnavigator
also collects the Sun's energy from the
wind. As you can see in the
picture below, Solar Navigator also
generates electricity from the wind
which the crew can use to
cook food and power navigation
equipment. This is why the vessel
is known as a hybrid: there is more than
one natural energy source being
collected. Four wind turbines are
being tested on this 1/20 model of the
wave piercing catamaran.
LINKS:
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Description:
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Learn
about the yellow dwarf star in our solar system
- Sun. Find out what the sunspots are, how the
Sun creates nuclear energy and how it affects
Earth. These web sites contain photographs,
puzzles, and quizzes. Includes a link to the
eThemes Resource on eclipse.
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Resource Links:
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StarChild:
The Sun
Learn about the sunspots, solar winds, and solar
flares. Listen to the Sun Song and learn the
lyrics. Go to Level 2 to learn more about the
Sun and view the movie.
BrainPop:
Health, Science, Technology
Watch the animated movie about the sun then take
a quiz.
Astronomy
For Kids
This page has basic facts about the Sun for
younger kids.
The
Sun
Learn about the Sun and its rotation. Click on
the icon of the sun with sunglasses to watch
animation of sun's rotation at the blue right
column. Scroll down the page and choose the
"Take the Sun Test!"
The
Virtual Sun
This web site is dedicated to the Sun. It has
extensive information about sun's corona,
temperature, its life cycle, and the influence
on Earth. The site includes photographs and
movies.
World
Almanac for Kids
Read about the history of the sun's observation,
its magnitude, structure, temperature, and
evolution.
Children's
Museum
Learn facts about the sun's diameter, mass,
temperature, and its surface.
The
SOHO Spacecraft Model
Read about the SOHO and its mission. Print out
the colorful pages of this six-page PDF document
and build a paper model.
Space
Theme Unit
Print out this page and answer questions of the
crossword. Includes an answer sheet.
The
Sun: Powerhouse of the Solar System
Learn about nuclear fusion produced by the sun.
Click on thumbnails to enlarge photos of a
sunspot, quake and tornado on the sun. NOTE: the
site has a guest book
The
Sun
This page has quick facts about the sun
including mythology, composition, and rotation.
Star
Wars Kids: Featured Theme
Learn about the solstice and imagine how it
would be on Tatooine - Star Wars imaginary
planet with two suns. NOTE: This site has an
animated ad.
Sun
Comparison Activities
Learn about different aspects of the sun and
their magnitude in relation to things you might
know. Includes "How Big is the Sun?"
and "How Hot is the Sun?"
Sun
Follow links on this page to learn about the
sun's interior and surface, solar activity, and
space missions. Play word search and memory
games. View images in Image Archives and Recent
Images of the sun.
BBC:
Space: The Sun
Prepare for a journey to the sun and watch
animated movie simulation of the star. Learn
here what causes the sunspots to appear on the
sun's surface. NOTE: The Talk link goes to a
message board.
eThemes
Resource: Solar System: Eclipses
These sites have information about solar and
lunar eclipses. Includes descriptions, Webcasts,
images, and charts. There are also sky charts
and descriptions of the earth, moon, and sun
relationships.
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Solar
Cola sponsor this website. Profits from refreshing
Solar Cola sales go toward the build of Solar Navigator.
Don't
forget to order your Solar Cola in time for the launch
next year.
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