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| == Physical and other characteristics == | == Physical and other characteristics == | ||
| The Sun is a ] star, with a ] of G2, meaning that it is somewhat bigger and hotter than the average star but far smaller than a ] star. A G2 star has a ] lifetime of about 10 billion years, and the Sun is probably about 5 billion years old, as determined by ]. |
The Sun is a ] star, with a ] of G2, meaning that it is somewhat bigger and hotter than the average star but far smaller than a ] star. A G2 star has a ] lifetime of about 10 billion years, and the Sun is probably about 5 billion years old, as determined by ]. | ||
| The Sun is a near-perfect sphere, with an oblateness estimated at about 9 millionths, which means the polar diameter differs from the equatorial by at most 10 km or so. This is in good part because the centrifugal effect of the Sun's rather sedate rotation is 18 million times weaker than its surface gravity (at the equator). | |||
| At the center of the Sun, where its density is 1.5 × 10<sup>5</sup> kg m<sup>-3</sup>, thermonuclear reactions (]) convert hydrogen into helium. 3.8 × 10<sup>38</sup> ] (hydrogen nuclei) are converted to helium every second. This releases energy which escapes from the surface of the Sun in the form of ] and ]s (and to a smaller extent as the kinetic and thermal energy of solar wind plasma and as the energy in the Sun's magnetic field). ] are able to replicate thermonuclear reactions with ]s. Sustained nuclear fusion on Earth for electricity generation may be possible in the future, with nuclear fusion reactors. | At the center of the Sun, where its density is 1.5 × 10<sup>5</sup> kg m<sup>-3</sup>, thermonuclear reactions (]) convert hydrogen into helium. 3.8 × 10<sup>38</sup> ] (hydrogen nuclei) are converted to helium every second. This releases energy which escapes from the surface of the Sun in the form of ] and ]s (and to a smaller extent as the kinetic and thermal energy of solar wind plasma and as the energy in the Sun's magnetic field). ] are able to replicate thermonuclear reactions with ]s. Sustained nuclear fusion on Earth for electricity generation may be possible in the future, with nuclear fusion reactors. | ||
Revision as of 13:17, 9 July 2004
- For alternative meanings see sun (disambiguation).
| Observation data | |
|---|---|
| Mean distance from Earth | 150,000,000 km (93,000,000 mi) |
| Visual brightness (V) | −26.8 |
| Absolute magnitude | 4.8 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Diameter | 1,392,000 km |
| Relative diameter (dS/dE) | 109 |
| Oblateness | ~9×10 |
| Surface area | 6.09 × 10 km² |
| Volume | 1.41 × 10 m³ |
| Mass | 1.9891 × 10 kg |
| Relative mass to Earth | 333,400 |
| Density | 1.411 g/cm³ |
| Relative density to Earth | 0.26 |
| Relative density to water | 1.409 |
| Surface gravity | 274 m s |
| Relative surface gravity | 27.9 g |
| Escape velocity | 618 km/s |
| Surface temperature | 5780 K |
| Temperature of corona | 5 × 10K |
| Luminosity (LS) | 3.827 × 10 J s |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Period of rotation | |
| At equator: | 27d 6h 36m |
| At 30° latitude: | 28d 4h 48m |
| At 60° latitude: | 30d 19h 12m |
| At 75° latitude: | 31d 19h 12m |
| Period of orbit around galactic centre |
2.2 × 10 years |
| Photospheric composition | |
| Hydrogen | 73.46 % |
| Helium | 24.85 % |
| Oxygen | 0.77 % |
| Carbon | 0.29 % |
| Iron | 0.16 % |
| Neon | 0.12 % |
| Nitrogen | 0.09 % |
| Silicon | 0.07 % |
| Magnesium | 0.05 % |
| Sulfur | 0.04 % |
The Sun (also called Sol) is the star in our solar system. The planet Earth and all of her sister planets, both the other terrestrial planets and the gas giants, orbit the Sun. Other bodies that orbit the Sun include asteroids, meteoroids, comets, Trans-Neptunian objects, and, of course, dust.
Physical and other characteristics
The Sun is a main sequence star, with a spectral class of G2, meaning that it is somewhat bigger and hotter than the average star but far smaller than a blue giant star. A G2 star has a main sequence lifetime of about 10 billion years, and the Sun is probably about 5 billion years old, as determined by nucleocosmochronology.
The Sun is a near-perfect sphere, with an oblateness estimated at about 9 millionths, which means the polar diameter differs from the equatorial by at most 10 km or so. This is in good part because the centrifugal effect of the Sun's rather sedate rotation is 18 million times weaker than its surface gravity (at the equator).
At the center of the Sun, where its density is 1.5 × 10 kg m, thermonuclear reactions (nuclear fusion) convert hydrogen into helium. 3.8 × 10 protons (hydrogen nuclei) are converted to helium every second. This releases energy which escapes from the surface of the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation and neutrinos (and to a smaller extent as the kinetic and thermal energy of solar wind plasma and as the energy in the Sun's magnetic field). Physicists are able to replicate thermonuclear reactions with hydrogen bombs. Sustained nuclear fusion on Earth for electricity generation may be possible in the future, with nuclear fusion reactors.
All matter in the Sun is in the form of plasma due to its extreme temperature. This makes it possible for the Sun to rotate faster at its equator than it does at higher latitudes, since the Sun is not a solid body. The differential rotation of the Sun's latitudes causes its magnetic field lines to become twisted together over time, causing magnetic field loops to erupt from the Sun's surface and trigger the formation of the Sun's dramatic sunspots and solar prominences. The solar activity cycle includes old magnetic fields being stripped off the Sun's surface starting from one pole and ending at the other.
The corona has 10atoms/m, and the photosphere has 10atoms/m.
For some time it was thought that the number of neutrinos produced by the nuclear reaction in the Sun was only one third of the number predicted by theory, a result that was termed the solar neutrino problem. When it was recently found that neutrinos had mass, and could therefore transform into harder-to-detect varieties of neutrinos while en route from the Sun to Earth, measurement and theory were reconciled.
To obtain an uninterrupted view of the Sun, the European Space Agency and NASA cooperatively launched the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) on December 2, 1995.
Observation of the Sun can reveal such phenomena as:
Caution: looking directly at the Sun can damage the retina and one's eyesight.
The astronomical symbol for the Sun is a circle with a point at its centre.
File:SOHO solar flare sun 20031026 0119 eit 304.png Large solar flare recorded by SOHO EIT304 instrument. 512x512 version. Animation (980kMPEG). Courtesy SOHO(ESA&NASA)
See also
- Astronomical twilight
- Solar radiation
- Solar radius
- Solar energy
- Solar wind
- Photosphere
- Chromosphere
- Corona
- Airglow
- Eclipse
- Timeline of solar astronomy
- Solar deity
- Daystar
External links
- Current SOHO snapshots
- Far-Side Helioseismic Holography from Stanford
- NASA Eclipse homepage
- Nasa SOHO (Solar & Heliospheric Observatory) satellite
- Solar Sounds from Stanford
- Spaceweather.com
