| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Alternative names | Luna Selene (poetic) Cynthia (poetic) |
| Adjectives | Lunar Selenian (poetic) Cynthian (poetic) Moonly (poetic) |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch J2000 | |
What is the closest star to Earth?
The closest star to Earth is a triple-star system called Alpha Centauri. The two main stars are Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, which form a binary pair. They are about 4.35 light-years from Earth, according to NASA.
Why is the sun called the sun?
The word sun comes from the Old English word sunne, which itself comes from the older Proto-Germanic language’s word sunnōn. In ancient times the Sun was widely seen as a god, and the name for Sun was the name of that god. Ancient Greeks called the Sun Helios, and this word is still used to describe the Sun today.
