Sun


The sun, also known as the primary star of the solar system, is here examined in much closer detail than is possible for other stars. There are two principal divisions: Solar phenomena and solar structure. General solar properties that at present do not clearly fit in either of these categories are also included.	Sapience Home Site Map About Sapience Science Astronomy Planetary Astronomy

The sun, also known as the primary star of the solar system, is here examined in much closer detail than is possible for other stars. There are two principal divisions: Solar phenomena and solar structure. General solar properties that at present do not clearly fit in either of these categories are also included.

Solar properties

Radius: 6.96 * 10⁵ km

Mass: 1.99 * 10³⁰ kg

Eff. Temp: 5780 K

Luminosity: 4 * 10²⁶ W

Solar structure

The sun can be divided into several layers. These include, from the outside in: The corona, the chromosphere, the photosphere, the convective zone, the radiative zone, and the core.

Solar phenomena

Solar phenomena include Active phenomena, including the magnetic cycle, sunspots, flares and prominences,and quiet phenomena, including granularity and oscillations


All areas of physics are important. Mechanics gives some basic foundations. Particle mechanics is applicable only to the degree that the sun can be considered a particle. Kinematics, kinetics, energetics, and systems of particles may be useful. Rigid body mechanics including rigid body description and motion, rotational dynamics, statics, and dynamic systems is slightly useful. Nonrigid mechanics including deformable bodies, fluid mechanics, and wave mechanics is far more useful. Gravitation and celestial mechanics including surface gravitation, particle celestial mechanics, rigid body celestial mechanics, and nonrigid celestial mechanics is also highly useful.
Thermodynamics is also useful. Statistical mechanics may be useful in advanded studies, but classical thermodynamics and nonequilibrium thermodynamics will be useful. Electromagnetism including electrostatics, electric current, magnetism, and optics is extremely important. Relativity including the special relativity and the general theory of relativity will be useful. Quantum physics is als useful. The structure of matter including subatomic physics, atomic physics, molecular physics, bulk matter physics, and exotic matter physics will also be important. Solar studies depend heavily on chemistry. Chemical substances, changes, and systems are needed. This makes a little use of biology and earth science. More important are stellar astronomy and other areas of planetary astronomy, including the other planetary systems, the history of the solar system, planets, minor bodies, and the interplanetary medium. The history, sociology, institutions, culture, anthropology, and personal studies related to studies of the sun will be examined in more detail as this site develops.

All areas of physics are important. Mechanics gives some basic foundations. Particle mechanics is applicable only to the degree that the sun can be considered a particle. Kinematics, kinetics, energetics, and systems of particles may be useful. Rigid body mechanics including rigid body description and motion, rotational dynamics, statics, and dynamic systems is slightly useful. Nonrigid mechanics including deformable bodies, fluid mechanics, and wave mechanics is far more useful. Gravitation and celestial mechanics including surface gravitation, particle celestial mechanics, rigid body celestial mechanics, and nonrigid celestial mechanics is also highly useful.

Thermodynamics is also useful. Statistical mechanics may be useful in advanded studies, but classical thermodynamics and nonequilibrium thermodynamics will be useful. Electromagnetism including electrostatics, electric current, magnetism, and optics is extremely important. Relativity including the special relativity and the general theory of relativity will be useful. Quantum physics is als useful. The structure of matter including subatomic physics, atomic physics, molecular physics, bulk matter physics, and exotic matter physics will also be important.

Solar studies depend heavily on chemistry. Chemical substances, changes, and systems are needed.

This makes a little use of biology and earth science. More important are stellar astronomy and other areas of planetary astronomy, including the other planetary systems, the history of the solar system, planets, minor bodies, and the interplanetary medium.

The history, sociology, institutions, culture, anthropology, and personal studies related to studies of the sun will be examined in more detail as this site develops.