Sun

Sun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the star. For other uses, see Sun (disambiguation).

The Sun

The Sun in visible wavelength with filtered white light on 8 July 2014. Characteristic limb darkening and
numerous sunspots are visible.

Observation data

Mean distance

1.496108 km

from Earth

8 min 19 s at light speed

Visual brightness (V)

26.74[1]

Absolute magnitude

4.83[1]

Spectral classification

G2V

Metallicity

Z = 0.0122[2]

Angular size

31.632.7[3]

Adjectives

Solar

Orbital characteristics

Mean distance

2.71017 km

from Milky Way core

27200 light-years

Galactic period

Velocity

(2.252.50)108 a

220 km/s (orbit around the center of the Milky Way)

20 km/s (relative to average velocity of other stars in stellar neighborhood)
370 km/s[4] (relative to the cosmic microwave background)
Physical characteristics

Equatorialradius

69634265 km[5]
109 Earth[6]

Equatorialcircumference

4.379106 km[6]
109 Earth[6]

Flattening

9106

Surface area

6.091012 km2[6]
12000 Earth[6]

Volume

1.411018 km3[6]
1300000 Earth

Mass

(1.988550.00025)1030 kg[1]
333000 Earth[1]

Averagedensity

1.408 g/cm3[1][6][7]
0.255 Earth[1][6]

Centerdensity(modeled)

162.2 g/cm3[1]
12.4 Earth

Equatorialsurface gravity

274.0 m/s2[1]
27.94 g
27542.29 cgs
28 Earth[6]

Escape velocity

617.7 km/s[6]

(from the surface)

55 Earth[6]

Temperature

Center (modeled): 1.57107 K[1]

Photosphere (effective): 5778 K[1]
Corona: 5106 K

Luminosity(Lsol)

3.8461026 W[1]
3.751028 lm

98 lm/W efficacy
Meanradiance (Isol)

2.009107 Wm2sr1

Age

4.6 billion years[8][9]

Rotation characteristics

Obliquity

7.25[1]
(to the ecliptic)
67.23
(to the galactic plane)

Right ascension

286.13

of North pole[10]

19 h 4 min 30 s

Declination

+63.87

of North pole

63 52' North

Siderealrotation period

25.05 days[1]

(at equator)
(at 16 latitude)

25.38 days[1]
25 d 9 h 7 min 12 s[10]

(at poles)

34.4 days[1]

Rotation velocity

7.189103 km/h[6]

(at equator)
Photospheric composition (by mass)
Hydrogen

73.46%[11]

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 is the star at the center of the Solar System and is by far the most important source
of energy for life on Earth. It is a nearly perfect spherical ball of hot plasma, with
internal convective motion that generates amagnetic field via a dynamo process. Its diameter is
about 109 times that of Earth, and it has a mass about 330,000 times that of Earth, accounting
for about 99.86% of the total mass of the Solar System. About three quarters of the Sun's mass
consists of hydrogen; the rest is mostly helium, with much smaller quantities of heavier elements,
including oxygen, carbon, neon and iron.
[a]

[12][13]

[14]

[15]

[16]