White dwarf
A white dwarf is the dense, hot remnant core left behind after a star like the Sun has exhausted its nuclear fuel and shed its outer layers.
How big is it?
12,000 km across
Diameter · representative
A little perspective
White dwarf vs Venus: diameter comparison
The mean diameter of Venus is about 1.01 times the diameter of a white dwarf.
A white dwarf is the dense, hot remnant core left behind after a star like the Sun has exhausted its nuclear fuel and shed its outer layers.
Venus is a rocky planet orbiting the Sun, covered by thick clouds of carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid.
Both rulers start at the same zero and share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its original proportions.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
White dwarf
Diameter: 12,000 km; representative.
A chosen 12,000 km, 0.6 solar-mass white dwarf. These remnants have roughly planetary dimensions but stellar masses.
The marked diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Venus
Mean diameter: 12,100 km; approximate.
Mean-radius spherical model for Venus; actual shape is not perfectly spherical.
NASA JPL — planetary physical parameters
The marked mean diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Use the visual comparison to explore its scale, then check the measurements and sources.
Change your perspective
Put it next to…
Choose a suggestion to redraw the comparison, or open its page to learn what it is.
Why this measurement?
Why we use 12,000 km
We compare the diameter of a white dwarf. This is a representative comparison value; individual specimens or conditions can vary.
A chosen 12,000 km, 0.6 solar-mass white dwarf. These remnants have roughly planetary dimensions but stellar masses.
The marked horizontal span follows the measured feature, not the edges of the image. How calibrated comparisons work →
Recorded properties
Dimensions and measurements
| Property | Selected value | Recorded range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 km | Not recorded | representative | |
| 199,800 M⊕ | Not recorded | representative |
Around this scale
Explore nearby values.
Compare examples with lower, similar and higher values. Each card names the measurement being compared.
Nearest lower valuePlanets, moons and spaceMars6,779 kmMean diameterMars is a rocky planet orbiting the Sun, with a reddish surface due to iron oxide.
Around the same scalePlanets, moons and spaceVenus12,100 kmMean diameterVenus is a rocky planet orbiting the Sun, covered by thick clouds of carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid.
Nearest higher valuePlanets, moons and spaceEarth12,740 kmMean diameterEarth is the rocky planet on which we live and the third planet from the Sun.Sources and method
Want to check the number?
The source records and measurement method remain available for inspection.
- NASA — White dwarfsEarth-sized stellar remnants; the chosen 12,000 km, 0.6 solar-mass example is a model.
More ways to see it
Curated comparisons
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
SpaceEarth12,740 kmEarth is the rocky planet on which we live and the third planet from the Sun.
SpaceSun1,391,000 kmThe Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System.
SpaceNeutron star20 kmA neutron star is the dense remnant core left after a massive star explodes as a supernova, composed mostly of neutrons.SpaceVenus12,100 kmVenus is a rocky planet orbiting the Sun, covered by thick clouds of carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid.SpaceMars6,779 kmMars is a rocky planet orbiting the Sun, with a reddish surface due to iron oxide.
SpaceGanymede5,262 kmGanymede is a natural satellite of Jupiter and contains a magnetic field generated by its partially liquid core.
SpaceTitan5,150 kmTitan is a natural satellite of Saturn, with a thick nitrogen-rich atmosphere and surface lakes of hydrocarbons.
PlacesNile6,650 kmThe Nile is a prominent river in northeastern Africa, flowing northward through several countries before reaching the Mediterranean Sea.A closer look