May 6 – Our Sun
We do not have an ordinary sun. It is brighter than 85% of all stars and has more mass than 90% of all stars. Of all stars, 75% are red dwarfs, having less than 5% of the light output of the sun. If our sun were a red dwarf, earth would have to be closer to receive its warmth. If it were that close, it would become locked in position – causing one side of the planet to always be dark – resulting in no life. Red dwarfs also frequently have violent flares, so much so that red dwarfs are nicknamed “flare stars.” The remaining stars that aren’t red dwarfs are unstable and would expel too much radiation to support life on any planet orbiting close enough to support life. Our sun is a class G star. More than half of these are binary or multiple systems which would again not provide a stable climate for earth. Essentially, all of the stars we know the most about in the universe are smaller, cooler, dimmer, unstable, or part of a binary system.
Our sun is amazingly stable. For example, EV Larcertae is a red dwarf that has 1% of the sun’s light output, but it had a mega-flare 1,000 times brighter than the sun. If earth were near this red dwarf, our atmosphere would have been stripped off and everything fried because of these flares. Scientists are beginning to observe that super-flares on typical stars happen once every century. These scientists question why our sun hasn’t experienced super-flares in all of recorded history. Our sun is quiet, calm, and stable. One 30 year study found the sun’s energy varied only .06%. Our sun is no ordinary star but; it is perfectly designed to sustain life on earth. This is no accident.
Psalm 113:3
KJV: From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord‘s name is to be praised.
NIV: From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Reference
Greenhouse thermostat discovered