# So what is our sun really called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092 "2003-04-25T12:23:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/1 "2003-04-25T12:23:35Z")
What is the sun at the centre of our solar system called? Is it just “The Sun.” I’ve seen a lot of reference to it as “Sol” but that seems to be only in science fiction novels. Is there any official name for the sun? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/2 "2003-04-25T12:26:31Z")
Sol = latin root. Sun = English Astronomers refer to it as the Sun. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/3 "2003-04-25T13:33:50Z")
Astronomers on Alpha Centauri call it “Ralph.” But they call alpha centauri “Edna,” so what do they know? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/4 "2003-04-25T13:50:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > **Astronomers on Alpha Centauri …** Hydrogen beings? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/5 "2003-04-25T14:12:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\*Hydrogen beings? > > 😉 \*\* Yes, but _very_ bright!😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/6 "2003-04-25T17:00:04Z")
I’ve always been partial to Helios as the “Name” of the sun. I don’t care if it’s wrong. It just sounds better than “The Sun” ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/7 "2003-04-25T17:11:38Z")
In any debate between Americans on constitutional law, it’s found unnecessary to specify that we’re talking about the Constitution of the United States, not the Canadian, Russian, or Burkino Fasan one. Our sun has the same sort of situation. Since most astronomical names are derived from or constructed to be Latin (with the occasional Greek and Arabic interloper), it’s traditional to consider that our sun’s “name” is Sol (Latin for “sun”), our moon is Luna, and our own planet is Terra or Earth with a capital, using English for that one. Hence on a single-mooned hypothetical planet of Alpha Centuri A, one can refer to the place we came from as Terra, orbiting Sol and in turn orbited by Luna, as opposed to the world we are on, with its sun and moon. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Goo_Fee)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/8 "2003-04-25T17:15:35Z")
Little hijack here-- what about the moon? we don’t even have a name for our own MOON!!! ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/9 "2003-04-25T17:16:27Z")
Nah. Sun. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Goo_Fee)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/10 "2003-04-25T17:17:23Z")
oh… polycarp already addressed that… I don’t buy that Luna is the moon’s name anymore than sol is the moons name. these are just another languages word for the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/11 "2003-04-25T17:20:00Z")
I _am_ an astronomer (and in the solar physics department, no less) and I’ve never heard any of my colleagues us the name **Sol**. The name of our sun is **the Sun**. Similarly the name of our galaxy is **the Galaxy** , or sometimes **our Galaxy** , and the moon is **the Moon**. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/12 "2003-04-25T17:22:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scr4 \* > \*\*The name of our sun is **the Sun**. Similarly the name of our galaxy is **the Galaxy** , or sometimes **our Galaxy** , \*\* Ummm, isn’t our galaxy called the Milky Way? ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/13 "2003-04-25T17:23:28Z")
SIMBAD is a database of astronomical objects. It keeps track of all sorts of names. For some objects you can get a list of 20 different names. A SIMBAD query on “sun” didn’t return anything. And I can’t exactly enter its coordinates. So, I’m no help. ---
**Author:** ![JanetReno.is.hot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JanetReno.is.hot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JanetReno.is.hot)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/14 "2003-04-25T17:26:16Z")
:dubious: I think we should come up with a new name for the sun and moon. After all, we dont go around calling Earth “Planet” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/15 "2003-04-25T17:34:27Z")
Ryan, you know you’re really just calling it “the sun” or “sol” in another language, right? It’s not really any more or less of a proper name than those. The Milky Way is just a nickname for our galaxy, I think, and it’s not the only one (it’s from the English language; other cultures have other names for it). ---
**Author:** ![bradwalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bradwalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradwalt)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/16 "2003-04-25T18:03:45Z")
I thought the International Star Registry had already sold the naming rights for our sun to a guy in Indiana ? See Cecil’s Classic: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_385.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_385.html) ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/17 "2003-04-25T18:08:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JanetReno.is.hot \* > \*\*I think we should come up with a new name for the sun and moon. After all, we dont go around calling Earth “Planet” \*\* Nah, it isn’t a big deal. Astronomers refer to other suns as _stars_, and other moons as _satellites_ (or _natural satellites_) so there isn’t much chance of confusion. Capitalization also removes the ambiguity. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/18 "2003-04-25T18:15:11Z")
We call the Earth “the world,” don’t we? World is a general term like sun, moon, etc., and I’ve never seen anybody get terribly confused by it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![yoyo3500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5daacb/32.png) [@yoyo3500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyo3500)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/19 "2003-04-25T18:24:26Z")
I call the sun (sic) Ed. Me and Ed go way back. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Goo_Fee)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092/20 "2003-04-25T19:58:07Z")
I had this big idea once that I would start a contest for naming the moon–put it on the Web or something. Anyway, whatever name got the most votes would become the official name of the moon. Could anyone say that it wasn’t? ( I don’t mean that rhetorically-- I’m really curious as to how all that works.) I checked online and found a site called [www.namethemoon.com](http://www.namethemoon.com) it’s not there anymore, but there was a page there once concerning this subject put up by some religious group. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-our-sun-really-called/171092.md?page=2)