Why the Sun is So Hot

Nobody should be surprised by how hot the sun is. The fact that there is a huge ball of fire in the sky makes sense. But as far as science is concerned, it's a bit of a mystery why it's so hot. The sun's surface is scorchingly hot, at 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. For comparison, an oxy-acetylene torch can reach temperatures of over 6,000 degrees and magma in a volcano can reach up to 2,300 degrees. So, when compared to the sun, that is really spectacular. However, there is also the sun's corona.

The area surrounding the sun known as the corona, which is filled with flaming plasma, heats up significantly more than the surface. It can get as hot as three million degrees there. The area surrounding the sun known as the corona, which is filled with flaming plasma, heats up significantly more than the surface. It can get as hot as three million degrees there. What's unclear in this case is the science. Why is it so much hotter outside if the heat originates from the sun's core? Just yet, we're unsure.

As a side note, it's important to note that temperatures on Earth do increase. Particles have been crushed together at the Large Hadron Collider, reaching temperatures hotter than a supernova for a relatively brief period of time.