HOW BIG
DiscoverStars

Stars

Diameter of the Sun: size and comparison with Earth

The adopted reference is about 1,392,700 km.

Mean diameter ≈ 1 393 000 km

1.3927 million km ≈ 1,392,700 km. One million kilometers is 1,000,000 km.

Our star, at the centre of the Solar System.

Explore at this scale
Sun, interpreted illustration
Interpreted illustration · dimension stated in the fact sheet.

What does this number measure?

The diameter concerns the photosphere, the apparent luminous surface. The solar corona extends much farther.

The adopted diameter concerns the photosphere, the apparent luminous surface. The corona is not included in this dimension.

A diameter ratio and a volume ratio are different. For spheres, the volume ratio is the cube of the diameter ratio.

Compare the stated dimensions

The comparison uses the number in each fact sheet: altitude, height, diameter, length or distance, depending on the reference. Two values in metres do not necessarily describe the same property.

Source and limitations

Catalogue value: a source is provided, but the measurement has not been individually audited in this project.

Sun: interpreted photosphere, granulation and spots; illustrative golden tint, diameter excluding the corona.