The mass of the Sun is approximately 1.989×10301.989\times 10^{30}1.989×1030 kilograms. This value is widely accepted and used as the standard solar mass in astronomy
. To put it in perspective, the Sun's mass is about 333,000 times that of Earth, and it constitutes about 99.86% of the total mass of the Solar System
. This immense mass is crucial for the gravitational forces that govern the orbits of planets and other objects in the Solar System. The solar mass is also used as a unit of mass to describe other stars and astronomical objects. More precise measurements give the solar mass as 1.988416×10301.988416\times 10^{30}1.988416×1030 kg with a very small margin of error
. In summary:
- Mass of the Sun: 1.989×10301.989\times 10^{30}1.989×1030 kg (about 2 nonillion kilograms)
- Equivalent to about 333,000 Earth masses
- Makes up about 99.86% of the Solar System's total mass
