Why the Sun Doesn’t Actually ‘Burn’: The Hidden Role of Oxygen in Solar Fusion - The Wandering Astronomer

Why the Sun Doesn’t Actually ‘Burn’: The Hidden Role of Oxygen in Solar Fusion

An extreme ultraviolet satellite image capturing a massive, serpentine solar filament eruption lifting off the surface of the glowing Sun into dark space, as recorded by the NASA/ESA SOHO spacecraft.

Think the Sun needs oxygen to burn? Discover the true role of this abundant solar element, from 19th-century discoveries to core thermonuclear fusion.