Alexander Rummel from Wächtersbach, Germany:

The answer comes flying in from outer space in the form of meteorites. Some of the objects that researchers find lying on the ground are left over from the birth of the solar system. By dating the meteorites the scientists can tell how old the sun is. It was formed 4-point-6 billions years ago out of a cloud of gas and dust.

Now it is in its best years - and is positively glowing with energy. In its interior, hydrogen atoms fuse at temperatures of 15 million degrees. But the really hot stuff still lies ahead. Some seven billion years from now, the sun will have expanded its radius to become a "Red Giant." It will gobble up entire planets before shedding its outer layers and leaving behind a dense "White Dwarf."