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Whose calculations first showed that the Sun shines by nuclear fusion?

Quick Answer

Hans Bethe explained stellar energy production in 1938. He showed the Sun is powered by fusion, not chemical burning.

The Full Story

Hans Bethe published his landmark work in 1938 showing that stars, including the Sun, produce energy through nuclear fusion. He identified the proton-proton chain and the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle as key processes in stellar interiors. This solved a long-standing mystery about how the Sun can shine for billions of years. Bethe received the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to stellar nucleosynthesis.

Key Facts

1.Key paper published in 1938
2.Explained the proton-proton chain
3.Nobel Prize in Physics in 1967

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