The Sun takes different amounts of time to complete one full rotation on its axis depending on the latitude, due to its gaseous plasma nature causing differential rotation.
- At the Sun's equator, one full rotation takes about 24 to 25 Earth days (approximately 24.47 to 25.67 days sidereal period)
- At higher latitudes, the rotation period increases, taking around 33 to 36 Earth days near the poles
- The average rotation period as seen from Earth (synodic rotation) is about 27 days, which is often used as a standard reference
This variation occurs because the Sun is not a solid body but a ball of plasma, so different latitudes rotate at different speeds. The equatorial regions rotate faster than the polar regions, a phenomenon known as differential rotation
. In summary, the Sun completes one full rotation on its axis in roughly 24 to 36 days depending on latitude, with about 27 days commonly cited as the average rotation period observed from Earth.
