Slightly more than 4.5 billion years old, the Sun is a large
ball of hot plasma powered by nuclear fusion. CfA scientists
study the Sun to learn about the day to day behavior of an
ordinary star, which includes giant magnetic storms that eject
high energy particles into the Solar System.
The Solar System contains a motley collection of planets, moon,
asteroids, comets, and other debris. The composition and orbits
of these objects provide clues to the formation of the Solar System
and the origin of life on Earth. CfA scientists use observations
and theoretical models to try to understand these clues.
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