1. Five billion years ago
A spinning cloud of dust and gas collapsed under its own weight. As it did so, the centre began to heat up.

2. A star is born
As the cloud continued to spin, it flattened into a disc. At the centre of the spinning disc (our future Solar System) lay the embryo, our future Sun, which began to grow as it continued heating up.

3. Full ignition
When the temperature at the centre of the embryo star reached about 15 million celsius (27 million fahrenheit), nuclear reactions began turning hydrogen into helium, causing it to radiate heat and light.

4. Our Sun today
Energy generated in the core of the sun radiates to the surface in great churning currents. At the surface, the temperature is more than 5500 celsius (10 000 fahrenheit), and billions of ton of hot gas flare into space.

5. Tomorrow's Sun?
When the Sun has burnt up the fuel at its centre, it will start to expand rapidly and cool down, and it will become a red giant.

6. Star death
The Sun will eventually collapse, squeezing the last particles of fuel so tightly that it will reheat and glow bright white. At this stage, a star is known as a white dwarf.