solar units

solar units

Dimensionless units whereby the mass, luminosity, and other physical properties of a celestial body can be expressed in terms of the Sun's mass, luminosity, etc. For example, a star having 10 times the mass of the Sun is said to have a mass of 10 solar masses, or 10 MO (see solar mass). Likewise the luminosity of a source is frequently expressed as a multiple or fraction of the solar luminosity, LO, which is equal to 3.826 × 1026 joules per second, and its radius in terms of the solar radius, RO, equal to 1.392 × 106 km.

solar units

[′sō·lər ‚yü·nəts] (astrophysics) A set of units for measuring properties of stars, in which properties of the sun such as mass, diameter, density, and luminosity are set equal to unity.