Jupiter
Jupiter is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, orbiting the Sun beyond the asteroid belt.
139,800 kmMean diameterWorlds apart
Jupiter vs Sun
What are they, and what does the difference actually look like?
Two things. One honest scale.
Meet the pair
What these two things are
Sun
The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System.
1,391,000 kmDiameterThe diameter of Sun is about 9.95 times the mean diameter of Jupiter.
Both marked spans share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its proportions; poses and surface detail are illustrative.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Jupiter
Mean-radius spherical model for Jupiter; actual shape is not perfectly spherical. Gravity refers to a conventional atmospheric level, not solid ground.
NASA JPL — planetary physical parameters
The marked mean diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Sun
Our star, modelled with the IAU nominal solar radius. “Surface” means the visible photosphere. The core is much hotter; this is not a solid surface.
IAU — nominal solar and planetary conversion constants
The marked diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Change the comparison
Put something else beside it.
Measurement details
Why these numbers?
The visual compares mean diameter with diameter. The records below preserve each value’s basis and caveats.
Jupiter
139,800 kmMean diameter · approximate
Mean-radius spherical model for Jupiter; actual shape is not perfectly spherical. Gravity refers to a conventional atmospheric level, not solid ground.
Sun
1,391,000 kmDiameter · approximate
Our star, modelled with the IAU nominal solar radius. “Surface” means the visible photosphere. The core is much hotter; this is not a solid surface.
- Comparing
- Mean diameter ↔ Diameter
- Relative size
- Sun is larger on this measurement by a factor of about 9.95. Sun's selected measurement is approximately 895% greater than Jupiter's.
How to read the visual
The labelled spans and stored measurements determine the scale; unmeasured illustration details do not.
- Jupiter is labelled approximate; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
- Sun is labelled approximate; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
SpaceJupiter139,800 kmJupiter is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, orbiting the Sun beyond the asteroid belt.SpaceSun1,391,000 kmThe Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System.
SpaceEarth12,740 kmEarth is the rocky planet on which we live and the third planet from the Sun.
SpaceMoon3,475 kmThe Moon is Earth’s natural satellite and the brightest large object in Earth’s night sky.
SpaceNeutron star20 kmA neutron star is the dense remnant core left after a massive star explodes as a supernova, composed mostly of neutrons.
SpaceEarth–Sun distance1 AUThe Earth–Sun distance, or astronomical unit, is the standard measure of separation between Earth and the Sun used in astronomy.Side by side
Another point of view.
