The Sun’s diameter is about 870,000 miles wide. The Sun is 109 times wider than Earth, and is 333,000 times heavier. That means if you put the Sun on a scale, you would need 333,000 objects that weigh as much as the Earth on the other side to make it balance.
The Sun is only one of over 100 billion stars. In ancient times, the people believed the Sun was a burning ball of fire created by the gods. Later, people thought it was a solid object, or a liquid ball. Over one million Earths could fit inside the Sun. Looking directly at the Sun can permanently damage your eyes because it is so bright. A star mostly gives off light and heat. The larger the star, the hotter its temperature. A supergiant star can get to be 400 times larger than our Sun, which is almost a million miles in diameter. The Sun is tilted.
Without the Sun, Earth could not support life. The Sun gives off heat and light that the Earth needs to support life (us). If you lived on the Sun, and you built a spacecraft, it would have to go over 618.2 kilometers per second to escape the Sun’s gravitational pull. The Sun is 695,000 kilometers at its equator. The Sun is the largest mass in our Solar System.
Sun loops are large loops caused by the Sun’s magma (molten rock) shooting off of the Sun’s surface. These loops can fly millions of miles into space. Our Sun is approximately 25,000 light-years from the galactic core of our galaxy (the Milky Way). It is like a really big star. It is a million times bigger than the biggest.
Did you know that the Sun is made out of 92% hydrogen, 7% helium and the rest is other low number gasses?
The moon does not give off light of its own. It is the Sun that gives light to the Moon. The Moon reflects the Sun’s light. A star is the only body in space that emits its own light; everything else reflects light from the closest star. Can you believe that it is over 4.24 light-years to the nearest star? Did you know that about 65% of all “stars” are actually double stars? They are stars that look like one, but when viewed through a telescope, they are actually two stars. Stars vary in sizes. They can be as small as 7,000 miles in diameters, or as large as 900 billion miles in diameter. Some stars change in brightness over a period of time. They do this when the star’s temperature dramatically drops. These stars are called Variable Stars.
A star has many different characteristics, such as their position, motion, size, mass, chemical ingredients and temperature. No two stars are exactly alike. The number of stars in the known Universe exceeds one billion.
Moose the dog was a Jack Russell Terrier most famous for his portrayal of Eddie Crane, the dog on the sitcom Frasier. He was born on Christmas Eve, 1990 and died on June 22, 2006 after a long and storied career. While he was the youngest puppy in the litter, he was also the largest, and considered to be a troublemaker by its owner.
This Japanese Akita was named Hachiko, and he has displayed one of the most remarkable signs of loyalty that any dog ever has. He was taken in by a University of Tokyo professor when he was less than a year old. 
Man’s best friend has learned quite a bit from him! Reseachers have found that most dogs understand around 250 words and gestures, can count up to 5, and perform simple mathematical calculations. Using tests designed to demonstrate the development of language, pre-language, and basic arithmetic in human children, these researchers found that the average dog is much more than a poop machine/stick retriever.
A great Dane by the name of George is the tallest dog ever recorded. George started out his life as a puppy with oversize paws. Eventually, he would grow into those paws. At five months old George was already the size of a Labrador and he was growing more than a pound a day! 
This Red Tibetan Mastiff breed named Big Splash is now considered to be the most expensive pet dog in the world. The 11-month-old dog was purchased by a coal baron from the north of China for a whopping $1.5 million. Big Splash or Hong Dong in Chinese is a perfect specimen according to it’s breeder, Lu Liang.
Sgt. Chris Duke, from the National Guard, and his fellow troops made good friends with some stray dogs they found while on tour in Afghanistan. Three were particularly close: Sasha, Target and Rufus.
Dogs are funny things in the US. Unlike in some other countries, dogs really are part of the family for most US families. So true is this that people really consider kidney transplants for their beloved animals. 
Here's another heartwarming story about dog loyalty. For the past 6 years, a German shepherd called Capitán has slept next to the grave of his owner every night at 6pm.
Farmers in Rhode Island were having trouble with coyotes coming in and injuring and killing their sheep. When they brought in a guard donkey to their farm, they stopped losing a single animal. 
In case you don’t know, Vladimir Putin is the current President of Russia, and since 1999 has been either Prime Minister or President on multiple occasions. While it’s common for many presidents to own dogs (you may recall there was quite a lot of buzz about the Obamas’ dog selection) Putin’s use of his wasn’t very common. 
Bluey was an Australian cattle dog born on June 7, 1910. He was owned by Les and Esma Hall and lived in Rochester, Victoria, Australia. Even though the record is unverified, he is believed to have lived until November 14, 1939 making him 29 years 6 months and 12 days old when he passed. 
Overtoun Bridge has gained media attention for the number of dogs that jump off it's side to their death. Studies show that since the 1950s and 60s at least one dog per month has jumped off of the bridge. Dogs that jump, fall 50 feet into waterfalls below the bridge. Most die, though a few have survived. When they were taken back to the bridge, they jumped off of it again! 
It is known as the New Guinea Singing Dog, named for its unique howl. Presently, almost nothing is known about them in their native habitat. No photographs even exist of them in the wild. These dogs are often kept as companions because of their intelligence and physical abilities. 
