archive / atlas record
The Sun
The star that supplies nearly all energy to Earth's surface.
- classification
- G-type main-sequence star
- system
- Solar System
The Sun is a middle-aged main-sequence star powered by hydrogen fusion in its core. Its activity shapes conditions throughout the heliosphere.
- Class
- G-type main-sequence star
- Location / system
- Solar System
- Distance
- About 8 light-minutes from Earth
Only values with an established scientific consensus are listed. Where a quantity is uncertain or model-dependent, it is discussed in the sections below rather than stated as data.
Overview (starter entry, expanded review pending)
The Sun is a middle-aged main-sequence star powered by hydrogen fusion in its core. Its activity shapes conditions throughout the heliosphere.
Spectroscopy, parallax and photometry
The Sun's spectrum constrains temperature and composition, parallax constrains distance, and changes in brightness or motion reveal variability, companions and evolutionary state.
- What remains least constrained about The Sun?Composition, internal structure, formation history or local environment can require different observations and may remain model-dependent.
Items above are unresolved. Hypotheses are labelled as such and are not presented as confirmed findings.
CDS Strasbourg // verified 28 September 2026