A little more
understanding.
Pull back from the world you know to a giant planet and the star that anchors our solar system. Earth is about 12,742 kilometers across using its mean diameter. Every circle in this exhibit uses the same linear scale.
How it works
Earth is about 12,742 kilometers across using its mean diameter. Every circle in this exhibit uses the same linear scale. Reveal Jupiter, then the Sun. Diameters are to scale; positions and gaps are arranged for comparison and do not represent orbital distances. The Sun is roughly 109 Earth diameters across. Volume increases with the cube of diameter, so the volume ratio is much larger.
Dive deeper
From diameter to volume
For spheres, volume is proportional to diameter cubed. Using the displayed rounded diameters gives a linear ratio of about 109.3 and a volume ratio of about 1.31 million. This geometrical ratio does not imply the same mass ratio, because average densities differ.
V₁ / V₂ = (D₁ / D₂)³ ≈ (1,392,700 / 12,742)³ ≈ 1.31 millionA useful approximation, with clear limits
Earth and especially Jupiter are oblate. The Sun has no solid surface: its visible boundary is associated with the photosphere. Rounded mean diameters and circles make comparison readable; they do not depict detailed planetary shape or atmospheric boundaries.
Interesting facts
11× — Earth’s diameter. Approximately Jupiter’s mean diameter.
109× — Earth’s diameter. Approximately the Sun’s diameter.
1.3M — Earth volumes. Approximate solar volume; not a literal sphere-packing count.
Good questions.
Are the distances also to scale?
No. Only diameters share a physical scale. Real orbital distances are far larger than the gaps shown here. This is a size comparison, not a map of the solar system.
Why do different references give different Jupiter diameters?
Jupiter bulges at its equator and is flattened at its poles. Mean, equatorial and polar diameters are different. This exhibit uses a rounded mean diameter for a clearly defined comparison.
Could 1.3 million Earths literally fit inside the Sun?
The familiar number describes an approximate volume ratio. Packing separate spheres leaves gaps, and the Sun’s interior is plasma rather than an empty container. It is a comparison of volumes, not a literal packing result.