Here's a bit more detail:
* Plasma: The Sun's gases are so hot that the electrons are stripped from the atoms, creating a state of matter called plasma. Plasma is sometimes called the "fourth state of matter" after solid, liquid, and gas.
* Composition: About 70% of the Sun is hydrogen, 28% is helium, and the remaining 2% is made up of other elements, including oxygen, carbon, neon, and iron.
* Temperature: The Sun's core reaches temperatures of about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15 million degrees Celsius), while the surface temperature is around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius).
The Sun's extreme heat and pressure are what drive nuclear fusion, the process that releases immense amounts of energy in the form of light and heat.
