What is the "official" name of our sun? My wife asked me and she didn't buy "Steve" !
Steve
Steve
If there are no dumb questions - I may have the fi
Started by steveandtracy, 01/03/2006 12:00AM
Posted 01/03/2006 12:00AM
Opening Post
Posted 01/03/2006 12:05AM
#1
The Sun does not have any scientific name like the names of plants and animals but among the billions of stars, it does fall in a particular category: Stars are classified based on their temperature and their size. Based on their temperature, they are classified into O, B, A, F, G, K and M stars with the O stars being the hottest with temperatures of about 50,000 K and the M stars being the coolest with temperatures of about 3000 K. Each group is subdivided into 10 classes (eg. O0, O1,..., O9, B0, B1,...).
Based on the size and luminosity, the stars are classified into classes Ia, Ib, II, III, IV, and V. Type I stars are supergiant stars, II means giant stars, etc. Finally class V are stars called main-sequence stars which are "normal" stars (that fuse hydrogen in their cores).
Based on this notation, our Sun is a star of spectral class G2 and luminosity class V (main sequence). So, when we can say "scientifically" that the Sun is a G2V star.
With that said I have heard it called "Sol"
Bob
Based on the size and luminosity, the stars are classified into classes Ia, Ib, II, III, IV, and V. Type I stars are supergiant stars, II means giant stars, etc. Finally class V are stars called main-sequence stars which are "normal" stars (that fuse hydrogen in their cores).
Based on this notation, our Sun is a star of spectral class G2 and luminosity class V (main sequence). So, when we can say "scientifically" that the Sun is a G2V star.
With that said I have heard it called "Sol"
Bob
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Posted 01/03/2006 05:27AM
#3
Nothing wrong with the question or questioner in this case, especially since there really isn't a good answer and doubly so because this is the forum where a beginner should feel free to ask anything related to the hobby, but the title of the thread reminded me of one of those demotivational posters, and if you haven't seen it already, it's good for a chuckle:
http://www.despair.com/cluelessness.html
http://www.despair.com/cluelessness.html
Posted 01/03/2006 08:11PM
#5
"What is the "official" name of our sun?"
The Greeks called it Helios....which was how the element helium was named, since it was first detected in the sun's spectrum. The Romans won out, though, with Sol, the name of their sun god.
I have no doubt, however, that someday there WILL be a star named "Bob"!
The Greeks called it Helios....which was how the element helium was named, since it was first detected in the sun's spectrum. The Romans won out, though, with Sol, the name of their sun god.
I have no doubt, however, that someday there WILL be a star named "Bob"!
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