Month: July 2025

GRAVITATIONAL CONTRACTION – The process by which a star generates energy through the gradual shrinking of its core, contributing to its heat before nuclear fusion begins.

HELIUM BURNING – The process in which helium nuclei fuse to form heavier elements, which occurs in stars more massive than the Sun during later stages of their life cycle.

EINSTEIN’S MASS-ENERGY EQUIVALENCE – The principle that energy (E) is equal to mass (m) times the speed of light squared (c²), explaining how mass is converted into energy in the Sun.

SOLAR LUMINOSITY – The total amount of energy emitted by the Sun per second, about 3.8 × 10²⁶ watts.

ENERGY OUTPUT – The total energy the Sun releases, primarily as light and heat, essential for life on Earth.

ENERGY TRANSPORT – The process by which energy produced in the Sun’s core is transported outward through radiation and convection.

CNO CYCLE – A secondary nuclear fusion process in stars heavier than the Sun, where carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen nuclei act as catalysts to fuse hydrogen into helium.

PROTON-PROTON CHAIN – The primary fusion process in the Sun, where hydrogen nuclei (protons) fuse to form helium and release energy.

NUCLEAR FUSION – The process in which hydrogen nuclei combine to form helium, releasing vast amounts of energy in the Sun’s core.