The Sun is at the centre of our solar system. It was formed 4.6 billion years ago, together with the other large bodies of the solar system, from a rotating, slowly condensing disc of gas and dust. In terms of size and luminosity, the Sun is an average star, whose life span is likely to be several billion years.
The enormous amounts of energy generated in the Sun through nuclear fusion and constantly radiated outwards form the basis for almost all life on Earth. To this day, many physical phenomena observed on the Sun are still not fully understood – yet no other celestial body influences our everyday lives as much as the Sun. The religious aspects of solar observation alone, as recorded in thousands of years of human history, fill volumes.
Today, we probably observe the Sun even more intensively than our ancestors did: solar space probes such as SOHO send data to Earth around the clock, and even in modern times, this can trigger hectic measures. For example, when strong explosions on the Sun cause considerable disruption to electronic equipment on Earth satellites and on the ground.
This poster, created in collaboration with Prof. Schwenn from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, summarises the most important facts about our star.
200g paper, lightfast, matt lacquer coating
