The Sun was probably formed about 5 billion years ago in an open cluster of a few thousand similar stars. It has completed about 20 orbits of the Milky Way, and today it is located in or near the Orion Spur. read more
So far, only two probable sun siblings are know to exist anywhere close by—that is, within the best existing data set of stars, which includes about a hundred thousand stars just 325 light-years in any direction from Earth. read more
The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light years across. It has a mass of about 2,000 times that of the Sun. Older texts frequently refer to the Orion Nebula as the Great Nebula in Orion or the Great Orion Nebula. read more
From far away, the Sun would look just like any other star -- a point of light. And like any other star, the Sun is mortal. The realization that the Sun is a star has done wonders for astronomy. By studying the Sun, the closest star, scientists have learned about all stars. read more