Like is it a White Dwarf, a pulsar? or something along those lines.
2007-03-21 13:36:00 · 11 answers · asked by ♪infinityonice♫ 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The sun, SOL, is known as a spectral type G5. Run of the mill, middle aged, quiet and ordinary yellow dwarf. About 5% of the stellar population of our Milky Way is G5, out of a total of 400 billion stars? You do the math.
2007-03-22 19:15:24 · answer #1 · answered by stargazergurl22 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Sun is a Main Sequence Star.
It is not a White Dwarf, Red Giant, or Supergiant, nor is it a Pulsar. Those are entirely different kinds of Stars.
Our Sun has existed for perhaps 4.6 billion years, and we can expect that it will last for another 5 billion years or so.
At that point it will have used up all of the readily available hydrogen within its core and begin burning the helium that was created by years and years of nuclear fusion. When that happens, our Sun will become unstable and begin to expand into a Red Giant consuming everything within its reach.
The burning of helium within the Sun is only the beginning of the Sun's demise. The hydrogen and helium burning shells of the Sun will expand and the Sun will become even more unstable. Eventually the outer shells will be blown away by the burning of other elements within the Sun's core. Multiple shells of a planetary nebulae will be created. Several examples of those stars are the helix nebula and Eskimo Nebula. these are most interesting to study and the photos of them from space are fascinating.
All of these events will happen far, far in the future so do not concern yourself about them now. Both you and I will be long gone by the time those events occur.
2007-03-21 14:07:03 · answer #2 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sun, a.k.a. Sol.
Population 1.
Spectral type G2.
Luminosity class five (main sequence).
Location: Milky Way Galaxy, 26000 lightyears from the galactic center, in the Orion spur between the Sagittarius and Perseus spiral arms.
Mass = 1.99E+30 kilograms.
Luminosity = 3.826E+26 watts.
Absolute magnitude = 4.75.
Radius = 6.96E+8 meters.
Effective temperature = 5770 Kelvin.
Radiative core, convective envelope.
Age = 5 billion years.
Time remaining on main sequence = 5 billion years.
Average density = 1.41 g/cm^3
Core temperature = 15 million Kelvin.
Core density = 160 g/cm^3
Core pressure = 3E+11 bar
Composition by mass:
* Hydrogen 73.46%
* Helium 24.85%
* Oxygen 0.77%
* Carbon 0.29%
* Iron 0.16%
* Neon 0.12%
* Sulfur 0.10%
* Nitrogen 0.09%
* Silicon 0.07%
* Magnesium 0.05%
No stellar companion.
Eight major planets (including one habitable).
Many moons and dwarf planets.
At least 100,000 asteroids.
2007-03-21 13:55:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a yellow dwarf, spectral class G2. Its an average star, a little larger and brighter than the most common red dwarf stars in our galaxy but nothing remarkable about it.
2007-03-21 13:48:40 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The sun is what's commonly called a "yellow dwarf" star. Technically it's a type 'G2V' star.
2007-03-21 13:39:03 · answer #5 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
the sun is a medium sized middle age main sequence star.
2007-03-21 13:45:02 · answer #6 · answered by h.pfanatic 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our Sun is a main sequence star.
2007-03-21 13:40:18 · answer #7 · answered by kris 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the sun is a yellow star. medium sized, middle aged.
2007-03-25 08:25:22 · answer #8 · answered by neutron 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A frickin' pulsar?!?!
If the sun's a pulsar, we're all gonna die of radiation!
2007-03-21 13:40:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
the first person was right. its a yellow dwarf.
2007-03-21 13:45:46 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋