Sun symbol

A circle with a dot at its centre — the Sun, and gold in alchemy.

Also known as: Solar symbol, Circle with a dot, Sol symbol, Gold symbol, Dot in a circle

Astrology & astronomyScientificHistorical & archaeologicalStandard profile

Meanings

A dot inside a circle denotes the Sun, and is still standard in astronomy for solar quantities: a solar mass is written with it. Alchemists used the same mark for gold, under the correspondence between the Sun and the most precious metal.

Common modern usageVerified fact
Denotes the Sun, and is used as a subscript for solar units — a solar mass and a solar radius are both written with it.
Contexts: History
Historically documentedDocumented interpretation
Denoted gold in alchemical writing.
A record of what alchemists wrote, not a claim that the association holds. The planet–metal correspondences were a system of belief, and the chemistry they rest on is not sound.
Medieval and early modern alchemy · Contexts: History
Common modern usageTradition
Is held in astrological tradition to signify the self, vitality and will.
Recorded as what astrological tradition assigns, not as a finding. Symbolwise does not assert that any planet influences anything, and astrology has no empirical standing.
Contexts: History
Common modern usageVerified fact
Remains in active scientific use in a way most symbols in this batch are not: solar mass and solar luminosity are standard units in astrophysics and are always written with it.
Contexts: History

Visual description

A plain circle with a single filled dot at its exact centre.

Symmetry: radial
Orientation: upright

Commonly confused with: Keep away from sunlight symbol
The astronomical sun stands for the star itself; the packaging mark is a storage instruction that borrows the drawing.
Opposite of: Moon symbol
Sun and Moon are paired throughout astronomical, alchemical and astrological usage, and stand for gold and silver respectively.

Compare: Sun symbol vs keep away from sunlight mark →

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.

Sources

Astronomical symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Planet symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Unicode Code Chart: Miscellaneous Symbols (U+2600–U+26FF)
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Alchemical symbol
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31

Part of

Planetary symbols and their older meanings

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Meanings

Common modern usageVerified fact

Denotes the Sun, and is used as a subscript for solar units — a solar mass and a solar radius are both written with it.

Contexts: History

Historically documentedDocumented interpretation

Denoted gold in alchemical writing.

A record of what alchemists wrote, not a claim that the association holds. The planet–metal correspondences were a system of belief, and the chemistry they rest on is not sound.

Medieval and early modern alchemy · Contexts: History

Common modern usageTradition

Is held in astrological tradition to signify the self, vitality and will.

Recorded as what astrological tradition assigns, not as a finding. Symbolwise does not assert that any planet influences anything, and astrology has no empirical standing.

Contexts: History

Common modern usageVerified fact

Remains in active scientific use in a way most symbols in this batch are not: solar mass and solar luminosity are standard units in astrophysics and are always written with it.

Contexts: History

Related & commonly confused symbols

Commonly confused with: Keep away from sunlight symbol
The astronomical sun stands for the star itself; the packaging mark is a storage instruction that borrows the drawing.
Opposite of: Moon symbol
Sun and Moon are paired throughout astronomical, alchemical and astrological usage, and stand for gold and silver respectively.

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is defined by a current official standard, but multiple independent sources agree.

Sources

Astronomical symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Planet symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Unicode Code Chart: Miscellaneous Symbols (U+2600–U+26FF)
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.
Alchemical symbol
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for the character's identity, its documented astronomical and alchemical use, and the fact that astrology assigns it a meaning. Never used to support the astrological claim itself, which is recorded as a tradition rather than a finding.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31