ELi5 what makes the sun a star and not a planet? And why is the moon not considered a planet?

Question

ELi5 what makes the sun a star and not a planet? And why is the moon not considered a planet?

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Answer 1

The sun is the center of our solar system! Lots and lots of stars have planets that rotate around them, just like ours. Therefore, when you see a star, it’s likely supporting an entirely different solar system with its own planets. Moons orbit around planets—so the scale is smaller. Moons are often just floating aimless space rock that got caught in the orbit of a planet.