Does the Sun's Changing Mass Affect Its Gravitational Pull on the Solar System?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the impact of the Sun's changing mass on its gravitational pull within the solar system, particularly regarding whether this change could lead to measurable effects on Earth and other bodies over time. The scope includes theoretical considerations of mass loss through nuclear fusion and coronal mass ejections, as well as the implications for gravitational influence.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the Sun loses mass through nuclear fusion and coronal mass ejections, raising the question of whether this loss could measurably affect its gravitational influence on the solar system.
  • One participant asserts that it will take an extremely long time before any measurable change in the Sun's gravitational acceleration is observed.
  • Another participant references a previous discussion indicating that the fraction of mass lost by the Sun over its lifetime is small, suggesting that while measurable, it would not significantly impact climate or gravitational effects.
  • A later reply introduces the idea that the solar system also gains mass from interstellar medium (ISM) dust, which could complicate the overall mass dynamics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the Sun's mass loss is minimal and would not lead to immediate or noticeable changes in gravitational effects. However, there is a lack of consensus on the implications of mass gain from ISM dust and how it interacts with the Sun's mass loss.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the uncertainty regarding the long-term effects of mass loss and gain, as well as the dependence on specific definitions of "measurable" changes in gravitational influence.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in astrophysics, gravitational theory, and the dynamics of the solar system may find this discussion relevant.

bdkeenan00
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Through nuclear fusion the Sun slowly losses mass as it is converted to energy. The Sun also losses mass through coronal mass ejections. So after a large amount of time would this change in mass of the sun create a measurable change in the gravitational influence the Sun has on bodies in the solar system? Like the Earth?
 
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You got it right BD, it will be a large, large, extremely large length of time before a measurable change in the sun's gravitational acceleration would be seen.
 
Ian said:
You got it right BD, it will be a large, large, extremely large length of time before a measurable change in the sun's gravitational acceleration would be seen.

Thanks for the reply!

I recently found a similar question on the forums and in which it was said that only a very small faction of the Sun's mass will be lost through out it's entire life. Mesurable, but not enough to change any climates enough to be noticeable. Well I'm glad to hear that the Earth isn't going to get any colder anytime soon. :smile:
 
Don't forget that it's not a one-way street ... several comets have been observed http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9806/04/kamikaze.comets/ ; the solar system moves through inter-stellar space, and routinely collectes tonnes and tonnes of ISM dust grains (probably a great deal more when we travel through a giant molecular cloud); ...
 
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