suns

Suns can refer to more than one thing. In astronomy, the Sun is the star at the center of our solar system, a G-type main-sequence star that provides the energy sustaining life on Earth. It contains about 99.8% of the solar system’s mass and radiates energy produced by nuclear fusion in its core, fusing hydrogen into helium. Its diameter is about 1.39 million kilometers, and its surface temperature is around 5,500 degrees Celsius. The plural term suns is used when discussing other stars of similar type located throughout the galaxy, though each such star is a separate sun to its own planetary system. The Sun is roughly 4.6 billion years old and orbits the center of the Milky Way.

The Suns most commonly refers to the Phoenix Suns, a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1968, they compete in the National Basketball Association’s Western Conference, Pacific Division. Their home arena is the Footprint Center. The franchise has appeared in multiple NBA Finals and won its first NBA Championship in 2021.

Other uses of the term suns may appear in popular culture or language to denote multiple stars similar to the Sun, or as names for teams or fictional entities. In astronomy discussions, however, suns are usually treated as individual stars identified by their own properties.