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Why is the Sun made of light elements only?
What is the Sun's core made of?Nuclear fusion and the SunDensity of the SunWhy is the Sun almost perfectly spherical?Why do astronomers call all elements heavier than helium “metals”?Why is the Sun called an “average star”?How can we see the Sun if it is made up of only gas?Where will the Goldilocks zone be when the Sun becomes a red giant?Does the sun have nonzero electric charge?Do only 'giant stars' fuse large amounts of elements other than hydrogen and helium?
$begingroup$
Since the entire solar system inherits its heavy elements from supernovae unrelated to our star, I fail to understand why, while capturing most of said system's matter, the sun only contain light elements, especially hydrogen, selecting out heavy elements found in the rest of the system, especially rocky planets like earth.
EDIT: so reading the answer offered by G. Smith it appears my initial question title is wrong, because the Sun does contain heavier elements. Not sure if I should correct it afterwards or leave it for historical reasons.
astrophysics sun stars stellar-physics metallicity
asked 6 hours ago
ExocytosisExocytosis
12210
$endgroup$
|
show 2 more comments
$begingroup$
Since the entire solar system inherits its heavy elements from supernovae unrelated to our star, I fail to understand why, while capturing most of said system's matter, the sun only contain light elements, especially hydrogen, selecting out heavy elements found in the rest of the system, especially rocky planets like earth.
EDIT: so reading the answer offered by G. Smith it appears my initial question title is wrong, because the Sun does contain heavier elements. Not sure if I should correct it afterwards or leave it for historical reasons.
astrophysics sun stars stellar-physics metallicity
asked 6 hours ago
ExocytosisExocytosis
12210
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/…
$endgroup$
– G. Smith
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@G. Smith: thanks, that was quite informative. So basically the difference of proportion would not be due to the sun not capturing heavy elements, but rather rocky planets failing to retain light ones, correct?
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
The better question is why the earth is not made of almost entirely lighter elements like most of the rest of the universe.
$endgroup$
– Shufflepants
4 hours ago
3
$begingroup$
It wouldn't be very good at being a star if it were made of dark elements, for one.
$endgroup$
– 0xdd
4 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
As XKCD says, there's more gold in the Sun than water in the Earth's oceans.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
2 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
$begingroup$
Since the entire solar system inherits its heavy elements from supernovae unrelated to our star, I fail to understand why, while capturing most of said system's matter, the sun only contain light elements, especially hydrogen, selecting out heavy elements found in the rest of the system, especially rocky planets like earth.
EDIT: so reading the answer offered by G. Smith it appears my initial question title is wrong, because the Sun does contain heavier elements. Not sure if I should correct it afterwards or leave it for historical reasons.
astrophysics sun stars stellar-physics metallicity
asked 6 hours ago
ExocytosisExocytosis
12210
$endgroup$
Since the entire solar system inherits its heavy elements from supernovae unrelated to our star, I fail to understand why, while capturing most of said system's matter, the sun only contain light elements, especially hydrogen, selecting out heavy elements found in the rest of the system, especially rocky planets like earth.
EDIT: so reading the answer offered by G. Smith it appears my initial question title is wrong, because the Sun does contain heavier elements. Not sure if I should correct it afterwards or leave it for historical reasons.
astrophysics sun stars stellar-physics metallicity
astrophysics sun stars stellar-physics metallicity
asked 6 hours ago
ExocytosisExocytosis
12210
asked 6 hours ago
ExocytosisExocytosis
12210
edited 6 hours ago
Exocytosis
asked 6 hours ago
ExocytosisExocytosis
12210
asked 6 hours ago
ExocytosisExocytosis
12210
asked 6 hours ago
ExocytosisExocytosis
12210
12210
1
$begingroup$
curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/…
$endgroup$
– G. Smith
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@G. Smith: thanks, that was quite informative. So basically the difference of proportion would not be due to the sun not capturing heavy elements, but rather rocky planets failing to retain light ones, correct?
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
The better question is why the earth is not made of almost entirely lighter elements like most of the rest of the universe.
$endgroup$
– Shufflepants
4 hours ago
3
$begingroup$
It wouldn't be very good at being a star if it were made of dark elements, for one.
$endgroup$
– 0xdd
4 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
As XKCD says, there's more gold in the Sun than water in the Earth's oceans.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
2 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
1
$begingroup$
curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/…
$endgroup$
– G. Smith
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@G. Smith: thanks, that was quite informative. So basically the difference of proportion would not be due to the sun not capturing heavy elements, but rather rocky planets failing to retain light ones, correct?
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
The better question is why the earth is not made of almost entirely lighter elements like most of the rest of the universe.
$endgroup$
– Shufflepants
4 hours ago
3
$begingroup$
It wouldn't be very good at being a star if it were made of dark elements, for one.
$endgroup$
– 0xdd
4 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
As XKCD says, there's more gold in the Sun than water in the Earth's oceans.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
2 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/…
$endgroup$
– G. Smith
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/…
$endgroup$
– G. Smith
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@G. Smith: thanks, that was quite informative. So basically the difference of proportion would not be due to the sun not capturing heavy elements, but rather rocky planets failing to retain light ones, correct?
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@G. Smith: thanks, that was quite informative. So basically the difference of proportion would not be due to the sun not capturing heavy elements, but rather rocky planets failing to retain light ones, correct?
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
The better question is why the earth is not made of almost entirely lighter elements like most of the rest of the universe.
$endgroup$
– Shufflepants
4 hours ago
$begingroup$
The better question is why the earth is not made of almost entirely lighter elements like most of the rest of the universe.
$endgroup$
– Shufflepants
4 hours ago
3
3
$begingroup$
It wouldn't be very good at being a star if it were made of dark elements, for one.
$endgroup$
– 0xdd
4 hours ago
$begingroup$
It wouldn't be very good at being a star if it were made of dark elements, for one.
$endgroup$
– 0xdd
4 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
As XKCD says, there's more gold in the Sun than water in the Earth's oceans.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
As XKCD says, there's more gold in the Sun than water in the Earth's oceans.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
2 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
The Sun didn’t “select out” heavy elements from the cloud. The planets selected out light elements because they don’t have enough gravity to hold on to their hydrogen and helium.
Source: http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/the-sun/composition/201-does-the-sun-have-any-heavy-elements-beginner
answered 6 hours ago
G. SmithG. Smith
12.4k11942
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Thank you. That makes sense with Jupiter's ability to retain light elements as well.
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Interesting, I never thought of it that way. So the protoplanetary disk may have had the same composition as the sun, at least for a while. So did all the planets originally have a composition similar to the gas giants, but over time the light elements left the atmosphere and were blown away by the solar wind? Where did they go? Is there a hydrogen layer at the heliopause?
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
The Sun didn’t “select out” heavy elements from the cloud. The planets selected out light elements because they don’t have enough gravity to hold on to their hydrogen and helium.
Source: http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/the-sun/composition/201-does-the-sun-have-any-heavy-elements-beginner
answered 6 hours ago
G. SmithG. Smith
12.4k11942
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Thank you. That makes sense with Jupiter's ability to retain light elements as well.
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Interesting, I never thought of it that way. So the protoplanetary disk may have had the same composition as the sun, at least for a while. So did all the planets originally have a composition similar to the gas giants, but over time the light elements left the atmosphere and were blown away by the solar wind? Where did they go? Is there a hydrogen layer at the heliopause?
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
1 hour ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The Sun didn’t “select out” heavy elements from the cloud. The planets selected out light elements because they don’t have enough gravity to hold on to their hydrogen and helium.
Source: http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/the-sun/composition/201-does-the-sun-have-any-heavy-elements-beginner
answered 6 hours ago
G. SmithG. Smith
12.4k11942
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Thank you. That makes sense with Jupiter's ability to retain light elements as well.
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Interesting, I never thought of it that way. So the protoplanetary disk may have had the same composition as the sun, at least for a while. So did all the planets originally have a composition similar to the gas giants, but over time the light elements left the atmosphere and were blown away by the solar wind? Where did they go? Is there a hydrogen layer at the heliopause?
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
1 hour ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The Sun didn’t “select out” heavy elements from the cloud. The planets selected out light elements because they don’t have enough gravity to hold on to their hydrogen and helium.
Source: http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/the-sun/composition/201-does-the-sun-have-any-heavy-elements-beginner
answered 6 hours ago
G. SmithG. Smith
12.4k11942
$endgroup$
The Sun didn’t “select out” heavy elements from the cloud. The planets selected out light elements because they don’t have enough gravity to hold on to their hydrogen and helium.
Source: http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/the-sun/composition/201-does-the-sun-have-any-heavy-elements-beginner
answered 6 hours ago
G. SmithG. Smith
12.4k11942
answered 6 hours ago
G. SmithG. Smith
12.4k11942
answered 6 hours ago
G. SmithG. Smith
12.4k11942
answered 6 hours ago
G. SmithG. Smith
12.4k11942
12.4k11942
1
$begingroup$
Thank you. That makes sense with Jupiter's ability to retain light elements as well.
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Interesting, I never thought of it that way. So the protoplanetary disk may have had the same composition as the sun, at least for a while. So did all the planets originally have a composition similar to the gas giants, but over time the light elements left the atmosphere and were blown away by the solar wind? Where did they go? Is there a hydrogen layer at the heliopause?
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
1 hour ago
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
Thank you. That makes sense with Jupiter's ability to retain light elements as well.
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Interesting, I never thought of it that way. So the protoplanetary disk may have had the same composition as the sun, at least for a while. So did all the planets originally have a composition similar to the gas giants, but over time the light elements left the atmosphere and were blown away by the solar wind? Where did they go? Is there a hydrogen layer at the heliopause?
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
1 hour ago
1
1
$begingroup$
Thank you. That makes sense with Jupiter's ability to retain light elements as well.
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thank you. That makes sense with Jupiter's ability to retain light elements as well.
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Interesting, I never thought of it that way. So the protoplanetary disk may have had the same composition as the sun, at least for a while. So did all the planets originally have a composition similar to the gas giants, but over time the light elements left the atmosphere and were blown away by the solar wind? Where did they go? Is there a hydrogen layer at the heliopause?
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Interesting, I never thought of it that way. So the protoplanetary disk may have had the same composition as the sun, at least for a while. So did all the planets originally have a composition similar to the gas giants, but over time the light elements left the atmosphere and were blown away by the solar wind? Where did they go? Is there a hydrogen layer at the heliopause?
$endgroup$
– Peter A. Schneider
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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1
$begingroup$
curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/53-our-solar-system/…
$endgroup$
– G. Smith
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@G. Smith: thanks, that was quite informative. So basically the difference of proportion would not be due to the sun not capturing heavy elements, but rather rocky planets failing to retain light ones, correct?
$endgroup$
– Exocytosis
6 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
The better question is why the earth is not made of almost entirely lighter elements like most of the rest of the universe.
$endgroup$
– Shufflepants
4 hours ago
3
$begingroup$
It wouldn't be very good at being a star if it were made of dark elements, for one.
$endgroup$
– 0xdd
4 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
As XKCD says, there's more gold in the Sun than water in the Earth's oceans.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
2 hours ago