---
title: "The Sun is a star"
description: "Know that the Sun is a star — the closest star to Earth — and that it is at the centre of our solar system, with all eight planets orbiting around it"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-sun-is-a-star-mt_u3Y3Tb-G_n
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-sun-is-a-star-mt_u3Y3Tb-G_n.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# The Sun is a star

Know that the Sun is a star — the closest star to Earth — and that it is at the centre of our solar system, with all eight planets orbiting around it

Subject: Science · Area: Space Exploration · Ages 7 to 9
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-sun-is-a-star-mt_u3Y3Tb-G_n

## Ready when they can

- State that the Sun is a star, not a unique type of object
- Explain that the Sun appears bigger and brighter than other stars because it is much closer
- Describe the solar system as the Sun at the centre with planets orbiting around it

## Lesson: The Sun is a star

You already know the Sun warms our days, and stars twinkle in the night sky. Here is the surprise: the Sun is a star too. It is simply the one that lives closest to us.

*(drawing: The Sun sits in the middle. All eight planets travel around it.)*

**Example.** Mia held a flashlight close to her face, and it looked huge and bright. She walked across the yard and held up the very same flashlight, and now it looked tiny. The Sun is like that flashlight. It is a star, the same kind of thing as the ones at night, it just happens to be nearby.

**Tip.** If the Sun were moved as far away as other stars, it would shrink down to a tiny twinkle too. Distance is the trick.

**Recap.** The Sun is a star, just the closest one, and it sits at the centre while all eight planets orbit around it.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Our Solar System](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/our-solar-system-mt_XlyF294bPR)

## Opens up

- [How Telescopes Work](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/how-telescopes-work-mt_-SZU6cVB_-)
- [Why the Sun Looks Brightest](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/why-the-sun-looks-brightest-mt_ae-cHHFR76)
- [The Vast Scale of Space](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-vast-scale-of-space-mt_aulwq39aj8)
- [The Eight Planets](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-eight-planets-mt_AVk2EmSULC)
- [Life Cycle of Stars](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/life-cycle-of-stars-mt_iTjrKEdAOj)
- [Earth's Spin & Orbit](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/earths-spin-and-orbit-mt_w2xiMNkyyX)