01 / ATLAS · SOLAR SYSTEM
From the Sun to Neptune.
Star
Sun
A star in motion.
Hydrogen fusion in the core supplies the energy that reaches the planets. Above the visible surface, magnetic fields shape loops of plasma and drive eruptions.
The Sun contains about 99.8% of the mass of the solar system.
We observeSpectra reveal its composition; telescopes map magnetic fields and changing plasma.
InterpretationModels of the interior draw on oscillations and neutrinos that escape the core.
How is energy transferred into the much hotter corona?
From the Sun to Neptune.
One star and eight planets. Images shown without a common size scale.