Researchers at Uppsala University have calculated that the Sun contains 55 per cent more silver than previously estimated. Researchers at Uppsala University have calculated that the Sun contains 55 per cent more silver than previously estimated. The results are based on more realistic modelling of the Sun’s atmosphere and resolve a long-standing problem of missing silver in the solar system. Like most stars, the Sun consists almost entirely of hydrogen and helium and only 1.5 per cent of its mass consists of heavier elements such as carbon, iron, or silver. Yet, these trace elements are extremely important.