Expert: Philip Stahl - 1/20/2006

Question
Hello,

I am curious about recent or new discoveries or theories that suggest the sun is other than an average star.  I remember learning that our sun was a middle of the road star in many respects.  Is that still the case?

Thanks

Phil Whitney

Answer
Hello.

Personally, I've seen nothing in recent research papers to convince me the Sun is anything other than a more-or-less "average star". Yes, it does display pulsations, but so do multitudes of other stars.

Yes, it has sunspots - but other stars have 'starspots' and often much larger. It has solar flares, other stars have stellar flares.

I think the main thrust of some of these claims may well have to do with the solar irradiance or the total amount of radiation emanating from the Sun, and whether that is constant (more or less) over time. Even so, the largest irradiance estimates only are about 0.4% or so greater than what was observed previously.

And even if the Sun DID turn out to be a "variable star" it would join millions of others with far more demonstrated variabiliy (for example, the Cepheid variables)

So, all in all, so far as I can tell from recent research, the Sun hasn't shown any particular attributes to show it is anything other than a run of the mill star!