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
About the same scale as Venus.
Venus: Venus is a rocky planet orbiting the Sun, covered by thick clouds of carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
White dwarf
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-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.
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
For comparison, this page uses diameter. This is labelled representative; the central value is useful for comparison, while real values or measurement solutions 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 named feature; transparent margins and unmeasured details do not alter it. How calibrated comparisons work →
Recorded properties
White dwarf dimensions and measurements
| Property | Selected value | Recorded range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 km | Not recorded | representative | |
| 199,800 M⊕ | Not recorded | representative |
Around this scale
Go smaller. Go bigger.
These links use compatible length records, ordered around the selected value.
Nearest lower value · SpaceMars6,779 kmMars is a rocky planet orbiting the Sun, with a reddish surface due to iron oxide.
Around the same scale · SpaceVenus12,100 kmVenus is a rocky planet orbiting the Sun, covered by thick clouds of carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid.
Nearest higher value · SpaceEarth12,740 kmEarth 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.