What Is Solar Radii

The solar radius is one way that astronomers use to classify stars in the milky way galaxy and is a fundamental unit of size based on the radius of earth s sun or the distance from its center to its outer surface.

What is solar radii.

A solar sail simply put is a spacecraft propelled by sunlight. The solar radius is usually defined as the radius to the layer in the solar photosphere where the optical depth equals 2 3. Whereas conventional rockets are propelled by the combustion of rocket fuel a solar sail is pushed forward by light from the sun. A solar radii is used to express the comparison from one star to our own sun.

The unit of measurement used is the radius of the sun approximately 695 700 km. Solar radius as the term implies is a quantity equivalent to the present radius of the sun. Sedna is three times farther away from earth than pluto making it the most distant observable object known in the solar system. The solar radius is usually defined as the radius to the layer in the sun s photosphere where the optical depth equals 2 3.

Solar radius determinations obtained with the ccd astrolabe at tubitak national observatory p. There is 10 known stars estimated size shown below with solar radii. Solar radius is a unit of distance used to express the size of stars in astronomy relative to the sun. This value is equal to 6 955 x 108 m or 0 004652 au and is usually used to compare the sizes of stars.

It is 143 73 billion km from the sun thus giving the solar system a. Displaystyle 1 r odot 6 957 times 10 5 hbox km. The radius of the sun is approximately 695 500 km or 432 450 miles. Larger stars are measured in solar radii unit of distance used to express the size of stars the magellanic clouds has the red supergiant stars where 44 of them are larger than 700 solar radii.

If a star has a radius of 10 3 solar radii then it has a radius 10 3 times larger than the sun.