Sun

Here comes the Sun! For kids who want to know all about this recycled, middle-aged and rather common star that gives us life, Sun is the one. Kids will enjoy descriptions of how Earth’s tilted orbit around the Sun creates the seasons, and enjoy learning about the different kinds of solar eclipses. Need a snack? How about taking a bite out of the Sun: We do it every time we eat plants that have stored the Sun’s energy in its leaves. But the Sun’s mighty power can also cause harm: Without the atmosphere to deflect the Sun’s solar wind, the average temperature on Earth would be 250°F degrees and we’d be fried to a crisp!

So how do we study the Sun if we can’t look directly at it? Simple – by viewing it through special telescopes that reveal its invisible ultraviolet and infrared light waves. Sun worshippers in ancient history didn’t have this option, but they did much to honor the Sun in art, music, and dance – even developing our yearly calendar around it. Also included: information on pulsars, supernovaes and other solar sisters of our Sun. For kids curious about alternative energy, an overview of solar power through the ages will also be interesting.