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Image: Michael Probst/AP Photo/picture allianceImage: Michael Probst/AP Photo/picture alliance

The sun

The sun is the center of our solar system — a burning ball of hydrogen and helium — and 4.5 billion years old. It's about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) from Earth but one day it will engulf our planet.

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All Content on this topic

Solar panels and air conditioning can work well together

Keeping cool by harnessing the sun's energy

Air conditioning is energy intensive, expensive and can overload the grid. Could they run on solar instead?
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 5, 2024
Symbolfoto Sonnenbrand

Skin cancer and the dangers of the sun

Doctors recommend always protecting your skin in the sun to cut your risk of skin cancer.
HealthJune 27, 202403:31 min
DW In Good Shape Sendungslogo Composite

In Good Shape - DW Health Show

Tropical diseases, motion sickness, sun burn. How can we navigate these vacation dangers?
HealthJune 21, 202426:04 min
An Indian worker takes a bath under a public tap on a scorching hot afternoon

How tech can help us to fight heat waves

Heat waves are increasingly scorching the globe, causing half a million deaths each year. Tech might be able to help.
TechnologyJune 6, 202403:50 min
BdTD | Schottland

Strong solar storm brings spectacular auroras

A powerful solar storm put on an amazing skyward light show across the globe overnight.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 12, 202401:57 min
Visualization of a solar eclipse moments before totality

People across N. America eagerly await total solar eclipse

Spectators are flocking to areas along the eclipse's path in Mexico, the US and Canada to witness the rare phenomenon.
SocietyApril 8, 202401:26 min
People watch an eclipse with special protective glasses

Total solar eclipse 2024: A quick guide on what to expect

North America will witness a total solar eclipse on April 8. Find out how and where you can watch it.
ScienceApril 8, 2024
Deutschland Herbst Kraniche

How does our sun work?

This week's viewer question comes from Román G. in Mexico.
ScienceMarch 27, 202402:27 min
DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

Tomorrow Today – The Science Show

This week we prepare for a journey to a mysterious moon of Mars and deep dive into what we can learn about exoplanets.
ScienceMarch 22, 202426:06 min
Videostill | Sendung Projekt Zukunft | Solarrennen

Driven by the sun – the World Solar Challenge

The World Solar Challenge is the world's toughest solar car race. A team from the Aachen University took part in 2023.
ScienceFebruary 7, 202405:28 min
Videostill | Sendung Projekt Zukunft | Schwerkraft

What would happen to Earth’s orbit if the sun disappeared?

This week's viewer question comes from Mike and Teresa C. in the USA.
ScienceFebruary 5, 202402:16 min
Actor Lee Sun-kyun

Lee Sun-kyun: South Korean actor of 'Parasite' fame dies

Lee shot to fame for his role in "Parasite," the first foreign-language film that won best picture at the 2020 Oscars.
SocietyDecember 27, 2023
Cellist Sol Gabetta

Radiant cellist Sol Gabetta

A captivating stage presence and a warm sound – the extraordinary cellist from Argentina.
MusicNovember 4, 202308:31 min
DW Business (Sendungslogo Composite)

DW Business

Rupert Murdoch is stepping down from his empire of aggressive tabloid newspapers, storied dailies and tv networks
BusinessSeptember 22, 202312:31 min
A rocket carrying the Aditya-L1 spacecraft is seen shortly after blasting off.

India launches space probe to study the sun

The Aditya L1 solar observatory is equipped to record data that will help scientists better understand solar activity.
ScienceSeptember 2, 202301:51 min
Aditya-L1 launches from its docking station

India's Aditya-L1 solar probe launches

India is trying to expand its footprint in space, and can do so more cost-effectively than several other countries.
TechnologySeptember 2, 2023
People on a beach full of sun loungers and beach umbrellas, Paros, Greece, summer 2023

Battle for the beaches: Greek islanders fight for access

In a protest dubbed "the beach towel revolt," Greeks are pushing to halt the creeping, illegal privatization of beaches.
SocietyAugust 9, 2023
Giant loops of solar material overlying the middle of the sun over the region where the solar flare originated

Can solar flares harm Earth's technology?

Solar flares can significantly impact the functioning of technology on Earth — and our health.
ScienceJuly 4, 202302:23 min
Solar Orbiter

How much mass does the sun lose per second?

Every second, the sun converts four million tons of matter into energy. But it also loses mass via the solar wind.
ScienceJune 13, 202303:03 min
Illustration Sonnenfinsternis

Do the moon and sun always rise in the east?

Every day the moon comes up later than the day before. But it always rises in the east and sets in the west.
ScienceJune 8, 202302:22 min
Solarenergie in Pakistan

Solar energy could solve Pakistan's energy crisis

Electricity is expensive in Pakistan and there are often power outages. Solar energy could help.
BusinessFebruary 28, 202302:33 min
DW Sendung Eco India 13.01.2023

Indian village plugged into sun

A pioneering village in Gujarat shows it’s possible to live entirely on solar power.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 12, 202305:14 min
Parts of the Rhine River went completely dry in the June and July drought

Germany sees record-breaking heat, drought, and sun in 2022

Scientists said that the country was on average 1.7 degrees C warmer than when recored keeping began.
ClimateDecember 30, 2022
Living Planet 210318 Podcast Picture Teaser

Another spin around the sun

This week on Living Planet, we look back at a few of our favorite stories and interviews from the 2022.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 29, 202229:59 min
Deutsche Insel | Sonne an der Nordsee

The health benefits of light

Daylight regulates your internal clock. How much light do we require daily?
HealthDecember 23, 202204:07 min
Meteor running in the starry sky, toward the planet Earth

Why do the sun and moon not crash down on the earth?

This week’s Tomorrow Today question from Brazil is: Why don’t the moon and sun crash into the Earth?
ScienceSeptember 16, 202201:51 min
The sun setting over the Albanian coast

Albania begins to harness the power of the sun

Albania enjoys the most sunshine hours of any country in Europe. But is only now beginning to harness the sun's power.
BusinessJuly 20, 2022
Kuwait Klima l Arbeiter in Kuwait City

In Good Shape - How sunlight and heat affect our health

Our planet has been getting hotter for decades due to climate change. UV levels are also on the rise. How do sunlight and heat affect our bodies? And how can we protect ourselves? This week's In good shape has the answers.
ScienceJuly 15, 202226:06 min
Still aus BR-Beitrag 'Die Sonne – nicht immer schädlich'

Treating psoriasis with UV-light

UV-light can be harmful. But it can also be therapeutic, if used in the right quantities.
ScienceJuly 15, 202203:46 min
Symbolbild Frau & Sonnenschutz

(F)actually healthy: Sun protection

Do sunscreens really contain harmful substances? And do we really need sun protection?
HealthJuly 15, 202206:56 min
Illustration | SpaceX Starlink Satellitennetzwerk

Fascinating light phenomena

Light is all around us – but it’s good for some surprises. Here are our top five light phenomena.
ScienceJuly 8, 202204:46 min
external

Summer, sun, Sylt

Go to the beach, bike around, or ride some waves: This German North Sea island is a tourist magnet.
LifestyleJuly 4, 202205:35 min
DW euromaxx Vorschaubild - Kostümpicknick

A picnic under the sign of the Sun King

In the castle garden of the Château de Vaux-Le-Vicomte near Paris, guests can embark on a journey through time.
TravelJuly 2, 202204:10 min
This photo provided by NASA shows the James Webb Space Telescope in space above Earth

James Webb Space Telescope: Just a huge thermal camera

The James Webb Space Telescope heralds a new era in infrared technology, letting astronomers see more than ever before.
ScienceJune 28, 2022
Lichttherapie

Sunlight: Nature's gift of joy

The sun's light is more than just bright. It helps regulate our psyche; influencing our circadian rhythms and hormones.
HealthDecember 31, 202104:09 min
eco India Sendung #165 Energy Storage

A quest to store the power of the sun

Scientists in Europe seek to revolutionize solar power storage with cheap, eco-friendly technology.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 16, 202105:32 min
An illustration of Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun. Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/JHU Applied Physics Laboratory

NASA probe enters sun's atmosphere for first time

Scientists hope to understand about solar winds and the sun's magnetic field that holds the galaxy together.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 15, 2021
NASA Sonneneruptionen der Klasse X1.0

Does the sun rotate around its own axis?

DW's viewers question this week comes from Román Gomez in Mexico.
ScienceNovember 20, 202102:09 min
Image of a solar flare, as seen in the bright flash at the Sun's lower center

Strong solar flare could disrupt navigation, lead to auroras

The solar flare at the sun's lower center is one of the strongest solar storms in the star's current weather cycle.
ScienceOctober 30, 2021
An outside view of the Berlin International Congress Center

New ideas for Berlin's ICC

Berlin's International Congress Center: you either love it or hate it. But can art save it?
ArtsOctober 23, 202104:02 min
Melanoma - Hautkrebs - Dermatolgie

When the sun makes you sick

Every time you get a sunburn, it raises your risk of getting skin cancer.
ScienceAugust 20, 202105:03 min
Image of a woman in sleepwear, stretching into a fridge full of water bottles

How to stay hydrated in the summer sun

If summer temperatures in the high 40s Celsius (115+ F) get common, we had better watch our hydration more than ever.
ScienceAugust 13, 20218 images
Projekt Zukunft | ZF Tag Nacht

Justask!

This week's viewer question comes from Mbadiwe Brown in Nigeria: why do days grow longer and nights shorter in summer?
ScienceMay 21, 202102:11 min
Berliners have been enjoying the sun after a long winter, marked by the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID: Berliners bask in the sun

Berliners have been enjoying the sun after a long winter, marked by the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
HealthMay 9, 202101:53 min
The author, Sarah Hucal, wearing a face mask during a day trip to Isla del Lobos off the coast of Corralejo, Fuerteventura

What it's like to travel during the pandemic

DW reporter Sarah Hucal went to the Canary Islands to report on what it's like to be a tourist in COVID times.
TravelApril 23, 2021
A woman in a hat stands in front of a solar panel 

Powering Kenya's flower farms with the sun

Kenyan flower farms make the switch to solar power thanks a unique financing model.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 23, 2021
Kazuo Ishiguro

'Klara and the Sun,' Kazuo Ishiguro's new novel

The Nobel Prize winner told DW why he's not afraid of artificial intelligence — but why we still need to prepare for it.
CultureMarch 15, 2021
DW Euromaxx 13.03.21 | Solkær

Spectacular photos of flocks of birds

Usually, Søren Solkær photographs stars like Adele or Björk. For his current project, the Danish photographer sought new leading actors: starlings. His photos of flocks of birds often look like abstract paintings.
LifestyleMarch 13, 202104:33 min
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Tanzanian harnesses the sun’s power

Agustino Chami is a Tanzanian inventor with a big goal: He wants to save the world from climate change with the power of the sun.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 22, 202101:38 min
external

Ethiopia: The power of solar clothing

How frustrating is it when you are on the road and your phone runs out of power. This student invented a solution.
SocietyJanuary 22, 202101:10 min