CNO cycle

Okay kiddo, do you remember how the sun gives us light and heat? Well, the sun actually makes its own light and heat through a process called nuclear fusion.

One of the ways the sun makes its energy is called the CNO cycle. CNO stands for carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen - three types of atoms that help make up the sun.

In the CNO cycle, these atoms smash together under really high pressure and temperature to make new atoms. This reaction gives off a lot of energy, which is what keeps the sun shining.

Basically, it's like a recipe where you mix together ingredients (the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms), stir them really hard (with pressure and temperature), and then get a delicious cake (energy) as a result. The sun uses the CNO cycle to make its own energy and shine bright for us to enjoy!