Another critical property of the sun is its magnetic field, which encapsulates the entire solar system.
Called the heliosphere, this force field protects the planets from harmful cosmic radiation.
It's caused by the sun's plasma pushing electrically charged particles toward the star's poles.
This process turns the sun into a giant magnet.
Although the Sun's magnetic field is invisible to the naked eye, its effects are noticeable.
On the Sun's surface are dark areas called sun spots, which mark strong pockets of magnetism.
On Earth and on some of the other planets the sun's magnetic field interacts with their atmospheres, resulting in beautiful auroras.
