In the ISC course "Exploring the Sun", the participants were able to explore the sun not only with their own eyes on the solar telescope (H-alpha) of the XLAB, but also with the help of scientific measurement data and images obtained from satellites. Doing so, they were able to find out directly that the sun is going through an 11-year cycle of activity and is currently showing a very high level of activity, which can have a direct impact on the earth through solar flares, solar storms and other energy releases. The participants pursued this finding further at the labs of the Astrophysical Institute of the University of Göttingen, where they were able to obtain and evaluate spectral information directly with the solar telescope. During a guided tour at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, the participants learned how the "Sunrise" telescope suspended under a balloon is used to study the sun from outside the disturbing atmosphere and gained insight into the everyday life of scientists.