Astronomy Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [the-sun]

Questions regarding the closest star to Earth, at the centre of the Solar System.

The Sun is the star that resides at the center of the Solar System and is closest to Earth, which orbits the Sun. It is a G2V star, with an apparent magnitude of -26.74 and an absolute magnitude of +4.83.

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How much gold is there in our sun?

XKCD 1944 claims that there is "more gold in the sun than water in the oceans". Is this really true?
Jakub Šturc
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When will the Sun end all human life on Earth?

If nothing else wipes out human existence prior to this, at what point will the Sun make Earth uninhabitable for humans?
Daniel Storm
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Sun constantly converts mass into energy, will this cause its gravity to decrease?

If the sun is constantly converting the mass into energy, then will its gravitational field continue decreasing?
Mohan Mone
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Why there is no smoke around the Sun?

Where there is fire, there is always smoke. So why there isn't any smoke near the Sun?
Pritam
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Does the Sun have permanent geographical features?

Equivalent formulations of this question: Would it make any sense to draw a map of the Sun? Is the Sun heterogeneous with respect to latitude and longitude? (I know that it is heterogeneous with respect to altitude/depth) I know that the Sun does…
Joshua Meyers
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Why is the Sun's atmosphere (the corona) so hot?

The visible surface of the Sun is 6000 degrees Celsius but the gas in the solar corona is at least 1 million degrees. What heats the solar corona?
ehsteve
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Is the power output at the core of the sun about the same as a compost pile (about 300 watts)?

I read an article at abc.net.au saying that the power output of the sun is about 276.5 watts per cubic metre, similar to that of a compost pile. A compost pile is not incandescent, while the sun is. It's so hot that it glows. So I have a hard time…
Sedumjoy
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Error in "Efficient Method for Calculating the time of Sunrise and Sunset" by Robin G Stuart

I've been implementing this paper in python. "Efficient Method for Calculating the time of Sunrise and Sunset" by Robin G Stuart. The sun's equation of centre is incorrect no matter what I try. it's $\nu - M = 0.3342 \sin (l + 1.3450)$ where l is…
stanri
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In which direction is the sun travelling?

Relative to this simple drawing, can someone explain to me, in which direction is the sun and its solar system travelling, which star (irrespective of distance) is closest to that direction, and in which direction the milky way center is.
Alonda
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What is the Neupert Effect?

This effect is frequently discussed in the context of solar time series. In particular, it a relationship between soft x-ray (thermal emission) and hard x-ray (nonthermal emission) from the Sun.
ehsteve
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What are some theories that explain the 11 year solar cycle?

The Sun exhibits a periodic cycle for solar activity as manifested by solar activity (e.g. sunspots, solar flares). This activity is related to magnetic fields which emerge from the interior of the Sun. The magnetic fields are created by the solar…
ehsteve
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How long does a sunrise or sunset take?

From the time that the sun appears on the horizon, or meets it on its setting, to the time that it is fully visible, or no longer visible on its setting, how much time passes? Secondly, is there a place in the world where a sunrise/sunset occurs…
user11308
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What star is directly north of the suns north pole?

If Polaris is Earth's North Star as it is directly pointed at by our North pole, what would be the North Star of the Sun?
zander
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How do you define the diameter of the Sun

That is, it's twice the radius where the radius is from the centre of the sun to some edge. But what is that edge?
Bathsheba
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What is the current estimation for how much time the Sun will function properly?

Eventually, the Sun will run out of fuel, go dark, and other bad things will happen. About how much long is it predicted that we will have a sun functioning as it is currently?
user19
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