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Astronomy
Sun Articles
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First Day of Spring 2021: The Spring Equinox
In 2021, the spring equinox occurs on Saturday, March 20. This event marks the astronomical first...
Summer Solstice 2021: The First Day of Summer
In 2021, the June solstice occurs on Sunday, June 20, marking the start of summer in the Northern...
What Are Perihelion and Aphelion?
Earth reaches its closest approach to the Sun for the year 2021 on January 2. We call this point in...
What Are Solar Cycles, and How Do They Affect Weather?
What are solar cycles and sunspots—and what causes them? Here at The Old Farmer’s Almanac, we...
Solar Cycle 25 Has Begun!
Solar Cycle 25 is official under way as of September, 2020. Following a weak Solar Cycle 24, what...
Groundhog Day and Shadow Fun
Groundhog Day. Just a bizarre tradition involving rodents? Or, rather, marmots? Actually, Groundhog...
What Are the Northern Lights?
Along with the colorful leaves that fall ushers in, the night sky has its own colorful display near...
How Fast Does the Sun Move?
Does the Sun spin? Yes, very slowly! Does the Sun orbit anything? Yes, it does! Find out facts...
How to Safely Watch a Total Solar Eclipse
You can seriously damage your eyes by watching a solar eclipse without proper protection (NOT...
Solar Eclipse Safety: How to Protect Your Eyes
Both total solar eclipses AND partial solar eclipses require specialized eye protection. I’ve...
The Influence of Solar Activity on Weather
What is the influence of solar activity on the weather? Dr. Richard Head, a former weather...
Next Total Solar Eclipse
When is the next total solar eclipse? See our dates when the total eclipse of the Sun is visible...
What Are Sunspots?
The Old Farmer’s Almanac uses sunspot activity to help in making its weather predictions. What are...
The Sun is Flipping Out!
Look up! You can see the biggest somersault in the solar system. The sun is in the middle of a...
The Sun Always Shines at Noon
Have you ever noticed that on an overcast day the sun will often break through the clouds close to ...
The Eight Layers of the Sun
The Sun is Hotter Than Hot! The Sun's temperature varies over time and throughout these seven...
The Gravitational Pull of the Sun
The Sun Has a Lot of Pull! The Sun makes up more than 99 percent of the total mass of the solar...
How Much Energy Does the Sun Produce?
The Sun Is a Huge Ball of Energy The Sun is about 865,000 miles in diameter. That's as wide as...
What is the Sun Made of?
What's the Sun made of? It's not solid. The Sun is composed of plasma, a material made from...
How Old is the Sun?
The Sun is one of 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy. Scientists estimate that the Sun is...