Ever wondered about the age of that giant ball of fire that keeps us alive? You're not alone! Asking 'how old is the sun' is a common question, and the answer is a staggering 4.603 billion years! That's right, billions!
Scientists arrived at this figure by studying radioactive elements within meteorites and matching that data to models of stellar evolution. These models predict how stars, like our sun, change over time based on their mass and composition.
But don't worry, the sun's not about to burn out anytime soon. It's currently in its mid-life, the main sequence phase, fusing hydrogen into helium. It's estimated to have another 5 billion years left before it starts to run out of fuel and transforms into a red giant, eventually becoming a white dwarf. So, keep enjoying those sunny days – there are plenty more to come! The sun, our life-giving star, has been around for an incredibly long time, and it's still going strong.
