Everybody is familiar with that yellow, circular disc in the sky called the sun. Of course, it’s hardly that difficult to spot since it causes people to sweat all the time. But while this is fact, people go about their lives without paying that much attention to the sun except minimal effort not to get baked by it.

All that most people know is that it’s bright, hot and necessary for life to exist. However, is it really alright to just go along with that? What exactly does the sun do to us every moment that it’s up there in the sky anyway? And can it still affect us even when it has set? Let’s find out.

Now people’s perception when they think of the sun usually comes in dramatically nauseating manners such as the light out of the darkness, the happiness out of the gloom, the warmth against the cold, and love to loneliness. Now while these things might be true, they fail to grasp what the sun really is. Contrary to romantic beliefs, the sun is actually the very epitome of chaos.

It is created by converting hydrogen into helium which is the source for all the nice fire and is in a constant battle with itself because the plasma wants to get away but the gravity is holding it back. It is continuously spouting flames strong enough to incinerate the earth if ever it was hit. It is also emitting radiation that could reduce anyone’s insides into pudding. Why are these things important? So you can appreciate what it is you are shading your eyes from in the dead of noon.

Disturbing images aside, the sun has various health effects that have been grossly exaggerated out of proportion either for good or ill. That is why a deeper understanding when it comes to the sun’s real contributions is important. After all, it’s not like you can hide from something that is a thousand times bigger than our own planet.

First we have the positives

When exposed in moderate amounts of sunlight, the body gains quite a bit of health benefits. Vitamin D is absorbed by the skin which promotes healthier bones. Sun rays can stimulate the body’s latent abilities to regenerate, boost the immune system, increases blood flow, promotes more muscles, and other more subtle effects. So taking a stroll early in the morning or late afternoon can be very good for you.

Now we have the negatives

One of the things that come along with sunlight is ultra violet rays or UV rays for short. In large amounts, this can be very dangerous and can penetrate even the deepest, darkest caves. However, overexposure can only be done if you spend an extensive amount of time under the glaring sun without protection of any kind. So in case you find yourself in such situations, the best thing to do is find cover because the UV rays would start killing off your skin cells.

Wrinkles are one of the more apparent negative effects of overexposure to sunlight, along with sunburns and, to the dismay of those who like it, the tan. Despite the beauty preference that people like to put alongside it, getting a tan through sunbathing accelerates the chances of getting skin cancer, especially for people who have fair skin. Along with that, freckles will also start surfacing with regular exposure and no matter how cute they may look you should see a doctor once you notice them.

Too much sunlight can also have adverse effects towards the eyes. Even when you don’t look directly at the sun, which is a pretty foolish thing to do in the first place, retinal damage can still occur when looking at things that reflect the light. The heat is also an issue as the eyes can actually get sunburn and that will cause irreparable damage that could lead to blindness.

As for whether it can still affect us even at night, yes it can. The energy that the sun releases is not equitable only when there is heat. The energy is trapped within the cooling earth and the evening air. But as far as discernible health effects goes, it is minimal at best.