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The Gravitational Pull of the Sun

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Catherine Boeckmann
November 12, 2021
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The Sun Has a Lot of Pull!

The Sun makes up more than 99 percent of the total mass of the solar system. Because it is so massive, the Sun exerts a lot of gravity, or pull, on the planets—enough to make them orbit around it.

If the planets were not moving forward at a speed fast enough to balance the Sun's sideways pull, they would fall into the Sun.

The Sun's gravity is about 27.9 times that of Earth, and, in a small way, it helps to control the tides on Earth.

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Comments

Andy (not verified)

1 year 6 months ago

When was this article published, doing the sun for a school project?

Gheorghian (not verified)

7 years 7 months ago

I am looking to compare micro and macro : the moving planets around the Sun and the moving of
electrons around the nucleus in an atom. It is very interesting for me.

Anonymous User (not verified)

11 years 1 month ago

Yay! Thank you! I am doing a science fair project on the solar system and this gave me good info!