SIZE IN SPACE

Explore the scale of the cosmos

Jupiter vs the Sun

Even a giant planet has a bigger neighbour.

One scale. Two worlds.True diameter scale
Jupiter and Sun to scaleTheir diameters differ by a factor of 9.9512. Illustrations show body diameter, not separation in space.
Jupiter 1.3982e+05 kmSun 1.3914e+06 km

Body diameters to scale. Positions and surface artwork are illustrative; Saturn’s rings are excluded.

A change of perspective

9.9512× the diameter. See how the two worlds measure up.

Diameter is a distance across an object. Volume grows with the cube of that distance.

Choose a size to bring this comparison down to Earth.

Jupiter: Twice the source mean radius; body diameter only, excluding rings.

Sun: Twice the source mean radius; body diameter only, excluding rings.

How we measure size →

How big is Jupiter beside the Sun?

The Sun is about ten Jupiter mean diameters across. Earth makes Jupiter feel enormous; the next comparison turns that giant into the smaller disk.

Try a chain of comparisons

Start with Earth and Jupiter, return here, then compare the Sun with Betelgeuse. Each scene fits its selected objects to the screen, so keep an eye on the names and numerical ratios as you move between pairs.

Model the difference

Make Jupiter a 2 cm marble. The Sun is then about 20 cm across. This is a scaled body-size comparison, with no attempt to model their separation.

Measurements behind this comparison

See the Jupiter object guide and Sun object guide for the values, definitions, and original sources.