Sun

149,600,000 km
8 min 19 s, light speed | label6 = | data6 = −26.74 (''V'') | label7 = | data7 = 4.83 | label8 = | data8 = G2V | label9 = Metallicity | data9 = ''Z'' = 0.0122 | label10 = Angular size | data10 = | header11 = Orbital characteristics | label12 = | data12 = 24,000 to 28,000 light-years | label13 = Galactic period | data13 = 225–250 million years | label14 = Velocity | data14 = }} | label15 = Obliquity | data15 = | label16 = | data16 = 286.13° (286° 7′ 48″) | label17 = | data17 = +63.87° (63° 52′ 12"N) | label18 = | data18 = | label19 = | data19 = | header20 = Physical characteristics | label21 = | data21 =
| label23 = Flattening | data23 = 0.00005 | label24 = Surface area | data24 =
}} | label25 = Volume | data25 = | }} | label26 = Mass | data26 = | }} | label27 = Average density | data27 =
| label28 = Age | data28 = 4.6 billion years | label29 = | data29 =
| label30 = | data30 = ~ | label31 = | data31 =
55 × Earth escape velocity | label32 = Temperature | data32 = (centre) | (photosphere) | (corona) }} | label33 = Luminosity | data33 = | | efficacy }} | label34 = Colour (B-V) | data34 = 0.656 | label35 = Mean radiance | data35 = | label37 = | data37 = Citing }} }}

The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive plasma sphere that makes up 99.86% of the Solar System’s total mass (330,000 times that of Earth), while orbiting the Galactic Center at a distance of 24,000–28,000 light-years. Internal nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium (at a rate of 600 billion kg/s), produces energy at a rate of 4 billion kg/s — the primary source of energy for life on Earth.

It formed 4.6 billion years ago from the gravitational collapse of matter within a molecular cloud, becoming a G-type main-sequence star. Most of the matter fell into the star, while the rest circulated in a disk forming the Solar System.

The mean distance from Earth, 1.496×10⁸ km or 8 light-minutes, defines the standard astronomical unit (au), as 1.495978707×10⁸ km. Its fundamental role and visibility to the naked eye, due to an imposing diameter of 1,391,400 km (864,600 mi) or 109 times that of Earth, have made the Sun an object of veneration in many cultures and a central interest of astronomers since antiquity. Scientific models for the structure and mechanism of the Sun were not developed in until the first part of the 20th century. Multiple solar space missions have been launched and orbital solar observatories provide continuous data on the Sun. Provided by Wikipedia