Our Sun's swirling flow This NASA supercomputer simulation shows the strength of the turbulent motions of the Sun’s inner layers as materials twist into its atmosphere. The more saturated and bright reds represent the most vigorous upward or downward twisting motions. Clear areas represent areas where there are only relatively slow up-flows, with very little twisting. The data-driven animation helps scientists better understand the Sun and what phenomena drive the patterns of its activity. Learn

If the Sun were to explode, the entire solar system would face instant devastation. An immense burst of light, heat, and radiation would obliterate everything in its path, while a powerful shockwave would rip through the planets. In the aftermath, the remnants of the Sun might collapse into a neutron star or even a black hole. But in reality, that scenario is purely science fiction. The Sun isn’t massive enough to explode. Instead, billions of years from now, it will swell into a red giant, engu