Solar analog (–0.21) for solar twin. 16 Cygni B is sometimes noted as twin, but is part of a triple star system and is very old for a solar twin at over 9 Gyr. Another way of defining solar twin is as a "habstar" — a star with qualities believed to be particularly hospitable to an Earth-like planet. Qualities considered include variability, mass, age, metallicity, and close companions. The requirement that the star remain on the main sequence for at least 3 Ga sets an upper limit of approximately 1.5 solar masses, corresponding to a hottest spectral type of F5 V. Such
Solar mass measurement, the solar mass came into use before the AU and the gravitational constant were precisely measured. This is because the relative mass of another planet in the Solar System or the combined mass of two binary stars can be calculated in units of Solar mass directly from the orbital radius and orbital period of the planet or stars using Kepler's third law, provided that orbital radius is measured in astronomical units and orbital period is measured in years. The mass of the Sun has been decreasing since the time it formed. This occurs through two processes in nearly equal