How is the Sun Different From Other Stars?

Is our sun different from the rest of the stars in the sky? Our sun is known to scientists as a yellow dwarf; it’s also classified as a “main sequence star” with a surface temperature of almost six thousand degrees Kelvin. The sun’s energy comes from the nuclear fusion process as it converts hydrogen to helium.

The sun is a typical yellow dwarf; what makes it so different from all the other objects we can observe in the sky is essentially proximity. The sun is close enough to the Earth for us to view it as it truly is. We see a massive, burning orb in the sky rather than a pinpoint of light. The closer you get to any star, the more it will generally resemble our sun except in color and size.

White dwarf stars are smaller and fainter because they are near the end of their life cycle. Red giants are very old and their behavior is quite different—they expand in size and can explode into nebulae or go supernova.

When you buy a star, do a bit of research on the star type. It’s fascinating to learn about the life cycle of these celestial objects.