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Sun Information
The sun is a star. It is a huge ball of gases, mostly hydrogen with about 10% helium and other elements, which provides energy and heat to our planet, earth. We depend on the sun to nourish us and keep us healthy, yet we must understand that too much exposure can cause severe harm.
In ancient times man paid tribute to the sun, believing it was a vengeful deity. The Egyptians built the pyramids for the sun god "Ra”, hoping to win his favor. The Aztecs sacrificed thousands of their youth on an altar each year to ensure the sun would rise every day. Indeed, many cultures throughout the world believed the sun was a god - Ra, Helios, Apollo - and many went to great extremes to keep this powerful god happy.
But those were times when the harm caused by the sun - blindness, skin lesions, dehydration and death - were attributed to factors that man had no control over. Today we know the decision is ours. When we allow ourselves to be exposed to harmful ultraviolet radiation, both the direct and indirect rays of the sun, we allow for skin damage, skin cancer, macular degeneration and cataracts. The increase in the number of diagnosed cases of these problems is closely related to our lifestyles of excessive ultraviolet exposure, as well as our environmental situation with increasing ozone depletion. Given this knowledge, which is supported by decades of scientific studies, we can and should take measure to protect ourselves. Become AWARE of problems related to sun exposure and be AWARE of the best methods available for protection.
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