Here's why:
* Nuclear Fusion: The Sun's energy comes from nuclear fusion in its core. This process fuses hydrogen atoms together to form helium, releasing immense amounts of energy as heat and light.
* Plasma: The intense heat and pressure within the Sun cause the gases to become a state of matter called plasma. Plasma is like a superheated gas where electrons are stripped from atoms, creating a mixture of ions and electrons.
* Gravity: The Sun's immense gravity holds all of this hot gas together.
So, while it's not a solid ball, the Sun is a massive, extremely hot, and luminous ball of mostly hydrogen and helium in a plasma state.