How many light years is it from the Sun to the edge of our solar system?

2 Answers
Mar 16, 2016

2 light years

Explanation:

The end of our solar system is the Oort cloud. It theoretically ends at about 2 light years from the Sun and that would be the end of the solar system.

Mar 16, 2016

2.5 light years (ly), nearly.

Explanation:

This approximation is based on the location of the point, in between the center of the Sun and the center of the nearest triad of very-close-to-Sun Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B and a little closer-to-Sun Proxima Centauri, at which there is no resultant in-between attraction.

The average distance of the triad from the Sun is 4.3 ly, nearly.

The total mass of the triad is nearly 2 X solar mass.

Using inverse-square-distance law for attractions, the resultant attraction is null at the point that divides the distance in the ratio of square roots of the masses. This point is closer to the greater mass.

So the distance of this point from the Sun = #sqrt2/(sqrt2 + 1)# 4.3 ly = 2.5 ly, nearly.

The edge of one star system is rather the same as the edge of the nearest star system. I have worked out all these, with available (yet to be confirmed) data.