Worlds apart

Io vs Moon

What are they, and what does the difference actually look like?

Two things. One honest scale.

Meet the pair

What these two things are

Io

Io is a natural satellite of Jupiter, covered with active volcanoes and sulphur deposits.

3,643 kmMean diameter

Moon

The Moon is Earth’s natural satellite and the brightest large object in Earth’s night sky.

3,475 kmMean diameter

Io has about 1.05 times the mean diameter of Moon.

True scale
01
Io3,643 kmMean diameter
02
Moon3,475 kmMean diameter
Both marked spans share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its proportions; poses and surface detail are illustrative.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +

Io

Rounded mean-radius model of Io. The derived area and volume describe a sphere; surface terrain and flattening are omitted.

NASA JPL — Planetary satellite physical parameters

The marked mean diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Moon

Rounded mean-radius model of Moon. The derived area and volume describe a sphere; surface terrain and flattening are omitted.

NASA JPL — Planetary satellite physical parameters

The marked mean diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

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Measurement details

Why these numbers?

The visual compares mean diameter with mean diameter. The records below preserve each value’s basis and caveats.

Io

3,643 km

Mean diameter · approximate

Rounded mean-radius model of Io. The derived area and volume describe a sphere; surface terrain and flattening are omitted.

Moon

3,475 km

Mean diameter · approximate

Rounded mean-radius model of Moon. The derived area and volume describe a sphere; surface terrain and flattening are omitted.

Comparing
Mean diameter ↔ Mean diameter
Relative size
Io is larger on this measurement by a factor of about 1.05. Io's selected measurement is approximately 4.84% greater than Moon's.

How to read the visual

The labelled spans and stored measurements determine the scale; unmeasured illustration details do not.

  • Io is labelled approximate; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
  • Moon is labelled approximate; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.

There’s always another scale

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