The sun generates nearly 386 billion million gigawatts, most of which is electromagnetic radiation. In comparison, a nuclear reactor makes only one gigawat of energy. Only a fraction of this radiant energy reaches the Earth and is responsible for all life.
The Sun produces heat and light through an unceasing series of nuclear reactions. This process of generation of sun’s energy is termed as nuclear fusion. Fusion of the atoms in the Sun releases immense energy and other primary particles. The Sun performs a kind of nuclear reaction to produce its energy by crushing the hydrogen atoms together that gives out immense pressure, light and heat.
The sun comprises mainly of Hydrogen. The Hydrogen atoms are bound together with gravitational pull of the Sun. This pull creates a sort of tension in the center of the sun where the temperature and pressure is the highest. The nuclear reaction that occurs in the sun involves four protons, which together make the nucleus of one atom of Helium. The Resultant helium comprises of two neutrons and two protons. The energy generated by the fusion reaction is responsible for the massive energy emanating from the Sun.
The energy of the Sun is said to be decreasing as the light elements of the sun have been fused together, and the sun is left with the heavier, non-fusible materials. The sun will die out and it will pull with its gravity every matter in the universe to the range of Mars’ orbit.
Sunspot activity and solar flares can make slight variations in the energy of the sun. These cramp the consistency of the energy of the sun. The earth gets 174 petawatts of the sun’s energy from which 30 per cent is reflected back into the universe. The rest is absorbed by the land, ocean, atmosphere, and the living beings on Earth. The total absorbed energy of the Sun in Earth is 3850000 EJ every year.
