The sun warms up our planet but space is cold. If I lit a candle and stood 20 feet away, I could see the light but not feel the warmth. So, why do we feel warmth from the sun but space isn’t warmed by it?
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The sun’s rays (photons) need to interact (they carry kinetic energy) with the particles of gas in the atmosphere. It causes the particles to move (heat). The more kinetic energy they absorb, the more heat you feel. Think of how fast food would cook an oven being heated by the air versus in a sous vide being heated by water, which is denser. You can even cook chicken with a slap machine. It’s all just kinetic energy.
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