Detailed image of the sun showcasing its fiery surface and glowing edges.

The Sun Is Almost Perfectly Round

You might expect a spinning star to bulge a lot, but the Sun barely does. Measurements found it is only about 8 parts per million out of round.

Sun Shape: Why the Sun Is Almost a Perfect Sphere

Sun as seen in Hydrogen-alpha light

Closer to a Perfect Sphere Than You Think

That tiny oblateness makes the Sun the natural object closest to a perfect sphere ever observed. Planetary tides are too weak to noticeably distort it.

Sun Shape: Why the Sun Is Almost a Perfect Sphere