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Questions about Sun

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When did the Sun form and what triggered its creation?

The Sun formed about 4.6 billion years ago from the collapse of part of a giant molecular cloud that consisted mostly of hydrogen and helium. A shock wave from a nearby supernova likely triggered this formation by compressing matter within the cloud.

How long will the Sun remain stable before it becomes a red giant?

The Sun is now roughly halfway through its main-sequence stage and has not changed dramatically in over four billion years. It will remain fairly stable for about five billion more years before expanding into a subgiant and then into a red giant.

What are the physical dimensions and temperature of the Sun's core?

The core of the Sun extends from the centre to about 20% or 25% of the solar radius with a density of up to 150 grams per cubic centimeter. A temperature close to 15.7 million kelvin exists within this region while the surface temperature is about 5,800 kelvin.

Who first proposed that the Sun is the center around which planets orbit?

Aristarchus of Samos proposed the theory that the Sun is the center around which planets orbit in the 3rd century BC. Nicolaus Copernicus later developed a detailed mathematical model of this heliocentric system in the 16th century.

How many times has the Sun orbited the center of the Milky Way galaxy since its formation?

It takes about 220 to 250 million Earth years to complete one revolution known as a galactic year. The Sun has done so approximately 20 times since its formation 4.6 billion years ago.

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