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Do you know how big the difference in mass between the sun and the earth is? What's the secret behind these astonishing numbers?
On the astonishing scale of the universe, the mass of the Sun stands in striking contrast to the mass of the Earth. In fact, the Sun's mass is about 333,000 times that of the Earth, a number that's mind-boggling. This mass difference not only makes the Sun the center of our solar system, but also plays an important role in the operation of the universe.
The mass of the Sun is about 2×10³⁰ kilograms, a number that is difficult for us to truly comprehend.
We measure the distances from the Sun to other celestial bodies in astronomical units (AU), and the mass of the Sun is adopted as a standard unit to estimate the masses of other stars, star clusters, and black holes. It is precisely because the mass of the Sun is so huge that it has a huge impact on the movement of other celestial bodies in our galaxy.
The history of quality measurement
Measuring the mass of the Sun has a long history. In 1776, Henry Cavendish successfully derived the gravitational constant using a torsion pendulum instrument. Although his data differed from the modern measured value by 1%, it laid the foundation for our understanding of the mass of celestial bodies. . Isaac Newton first estimated the ratio of the masses of the Earth and the Sun in his 1687 work Principia.
Newton originally estimated the mass ratio of the Earth to the Sun to be about 1/28700, which was later revised to about 1/169282.
With the advancement of technology, our understanding of the mass of the sun is constantly deepening. Current data shows that the mass of the sun should be 332,946 times the mass of the earth. The accuracy of these values can help us better understand the laws governing the motion of the solar system and even deduce the masses of other stars.
How to calculate mass
Since we cannot directly measure the mass of the Sun, scientists calculate it using measurable factors. For example, based on the distance between the Earth and the Sun and the Earth's orbital period, Kepler's three laws can be used to calculate the mass of the Sun. This complex process involves the determination of the gravitational constant, which is difficult to measure and can only be obtained with limited accuracy.
The mass of the Sun is derived by observing the motion of different celestial bodies within its gravitational field.
Now, the calculation of the mass of the sun can be expressed as:
M☉ = 4π² × (1 AU)³ / (G × (1 yr)²)
This formula shows how to relate the mass of the Sun to the astronomical unit and the gravitational constant, improving our understanding of the Universe.
Changes in quality
Even with this mass, the Sun is constantly losing mass. This process is mainly due to the nuclear fusion reactions in its core, which release a large amount of energy and charged particles, causing it to gradually lose mass. The mass lost each year is approximately between 2-3×10^-14 M☉. When the Sun enters the red giant phase, this number will increase significantly, reaching between 10^-5 and 10^-4 M☉.
During the period during which the Sun becomes a white dwarf, it will lose about 46% of its initial mass.
To better understand this change, we need to focus on two aspects: first, the nuclear fusion of hydrogen inside the sun to produce helium, which releases a lot of energy in the process; second, the solar wind and coronal mass ejection will send high-energy particles directly to the sun. Space. The two mass loss processes are almost equal.
Related Units
Understanding the mass of the sun also requires knowing some related units. Using the mass of the Sun (M☉) as a reference, we find that 1 M☉ is approximately equivalent to 332,946 Earth masses (ME), and 1,047.35 Jupiter masses (MJ). In addition, in relativity, mass is often expressed in units of length or time, which once again reminds us of the importance of mass in the operation of the universe.
We continue to delve deeper into the mysteries behind the Sun and its mass, which in turn gives us a deeper understanding of the Universe. In the future, as observation technology improves, we will uncover more secrets about this star. Can we imagine how such a mass difference will affect our understanding of the future of the Universe?
