{
  "id": 4638747,
  "title": "Do the planets revolve around the sun? Not exactly",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/do-the-planets-revolve-around-the-sun-not-exactly",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-30T11:45:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "EarthSky",
    "slug": "earthsky",
    "url": "https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/do-the-planets-revolve-around-the-sun-barycenter/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Do the planets orbit the sun? Technically, yes, but not in the straightforward way many were taught. Our solar system revolves around a common center of mass, known as the barycenter. Currently, this barycenter is located outside the sun. In roughly a year, around early 2027, the barycenter will shift to sit inside the sun's surface once more. This phenomenon, explained by the laws of physics, has been understood since ancient times, notably by Greek mathematician Archimedes who coined the term \"barycenter\" from Greek roots meaning \"heavy\" and \"center.\" The sun, being vastly more massive than the planets, often makes the barycenter sit inside its body. However, due to the gravitational pull of larger planets like Jupiter, this isn't always the case. In fact, the barycenter spends over 60% of its time outside the sun. Jupiter's massive influence pulls the barycenter towards the sun’s interior, a process expected to complete by February 2027. This shifting barycenter isn't unique to our solar system; all stars and their planets orbit around their own barycenter. Astronomers have even used this concept to detect exoplanets via the wobble method, analyzing the star's spectrum for subtle shifts as the star and planet orbit around their shared barycenter.",
  "summary": "Do the planets revolve around the sun? Not exactly. The sun and planets orbit a common center of mass, which, right now, is outside the sun. The post Do the planets revolve around the sun? Not exactly first appeared on EarthSky .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}