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How old is the sun?

The age of the Sun is estimated to be about 4.6 billion years. Scientists have determined this age using various methods, including studying the ages of the oldest meteorites, radioactive dating of rocks on Earth and the Moon, and models of stellar evolution.

The Sun formed from the gravitational collapse of a region within a large molecular cloud composed of hydrogen and helium. This collapse resulted in the formation of a rotating disk of gas and dust, and the material in this disk eventually came together to form the Sun. The remaining material in the disk formed the planets, moons, and other objects in our solar system.

The Sun is currently in the middle of its main sequence phase, during which it fuses hydrogen into helium in its core. This phase has lasted for about 4.6 billion years and is expected to continue for another 5 billion years or so. After that, the Sun will enter the next phase of its life cycle, expanding into a red giant and eventually shedding its outer layers to become a white dwarf.

For More Planetary Facts & Space Animation: Space Balls Videos



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