Local Sun Myth

The sun is the closest star to Earth and the source of life-giving energy for our planet. Despite centuries of scientific study and observation, some individuals and groups still cling to the notion that the Earth is flat and that the sun orbits around a stationary Earth. Flat Earthers often make claims about the nature of the sun that are not supported by scientific evidence. Here are ten bullet points that provide a summary of what we know about the sun based on scientific research:

• The sun is a star that is located at the center of the solar system and has a diameter of approximately 1.39 million kilometers (865,000 miles).
• The distance between the Earth and the Sun is approximately 93 million miles (149.6 million kilometers). This is known as an astronomical unit (AU), which is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun.
  
  
• In terms of light minutes, it takes about 8.3 minutes for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth. This means that when we observe the Sun from Earth, we are seeing it as it appeared 8.3 minutes ago, due to the time it takes for the light to reach us.
  
• The distance between the Earth and the Sun can vary slightly depending on the position of the Earth in its orbit. The closest approach between the Earth and the Sun, known as perihelion, occurs around January 3 each year and is approximately 91.4 million miles (147.1 million kilometers). The farthest distance between the Earth and the Sun, known as aphelion, occurs around July 4 each year and is approximately 94.5 million miles (152.1 million kilometers).
  
• The sun is composed of hot, ionized gas known as plasma and has a surface temperature of approximately 5,500 degrees Celsius (9,932 degrees Fahrenheit).
• The sun generates energy through the process of nuclear fusion, which converts hydrogen into helium and releases vast amounts of energy in the form of light and heat.
• The sun's magnetic field is responsible for the formation of sunspots, which are dark areas on the sun's surface that are cooler than the surrounding plasma.
• The sun's activity follows a regular cycle of approximately 11 years, during which the number and intensity of sunspots and solar flares vary.
• Solar flares are explosions on the sun's surface that release enormous amounts of energy and can disrupt communications and electrical systems on Earth.
• The sun emits a constant stream of charged particles known as the solar wind, which can interact with the Earth's magnetic field and cause auroras in the polar regions.
• The sun's gravitational influence is responsible for the orbits of the planets in the solar system, including Earth, and affects the behavior of comets and other celestial bodies.
• The sun's energy is essential for life on Earth, as it drives the processes of photosynthesis in plants and provides warmth and light for all living organisms.
• The study of the sun and its behavior is a crucial area of research in astronomy and solar physics, with important implications for space weather forecasting, climate modeling, and space exploration.

​Overall, the scientific research on the sun provides a wealth of evidence about its nature and behavior, and strongly supports the conclusion that the sun is a star that follows the laws of physics and orbits around the center of the solar system, rather than a flat disc that revolves around a stationary Earth.