Sun vs Earth: How Many Earths Fit in the Sun?
The Sun is about 109 times wider than Earth. If the Sun were a hollow ball, around 1.3 million Earths would fit inside it. It holds more than 99.8% of all the mass in the solar system, and its light takes about 8 minutes to reach us.
Sun vs Earth: true size
Sun vs Earth at a glance
| Sun | Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A star, a giant ball of hot gas | A rocky planet |
| Diameter | About 1,392,700 km, about 109 Earths | 12,742 km |
| Volume | About 1.3 million Earths | 1 Earth |
| Mass | About 333,000 Earths | 1 Earth |
| Surface temperature | About 5,500 °C | About 15 °C on average |
| Centre temperature | About 15 million °C | About 5,000 °C or more |
| Gravity at the surface | About 28 times Earth’s | 9.8 m/s² |
| Age | About 4.6 billion years | About 4.5 billion years |
A sense of scale
Picture the Sun as a football about 22 cm across. Earth would be a peppercorn about 2 mm wide, roughly 24 m away. The Sun is so big that it dwarfs everything around it, yet it is only an average-sized star. Many stars in the night sky are far bigger.
How the Sun powers Earth
In the Sun’s core, hydrogen nuclei fuse into helium, turning a little mass into a huge amount of energy. That energy takes a very long time to work its way out, then crosses 150 million km of space in about 8 minutes 20 seconds. It drives Earth’s weather, ocean currents and photosynthesis, which feeds almost all life.
Quick facts
- The Sun is about 150 million km from Earth, a distance called one astronomical unit.
- The Sun turns faster at its equator, about once every 25 days, than near its poles.
- The Sun is about 73% hydrogen and 25% helium by mass.
- In about 5 billion years the Sun will swell into a red giant.
- Never look straight at the Sun, even during an eclipse, without proper eclipse glasses.
See them in 3D
Sun vs Earth questions
How many Earths can fit in the Sun?
About 1.3 million Earths would fit inside the Sun by volume. About 109 Earths would fit side by side across its face.
How much bigger is the Sun than Earth?
About 109 times wider and about 333,000 times heavier.
How hot is the Sun?
About 5,500 °C at the visible surface and about 15 million °C at the centre.
How far is the Sun from Earth?
About 150 million km. Its light takes about 8 minutes 20 seconds to reach us.
Is the Sun a planet?
No. The Sun is a star. It makes its own light by nuclear fusion. Earth is a planet that orbits it.
More face-offs: see all 3D comparisons.
The 3D Solar System is made by Julian Neagu, a solo founder in London, as part of VisionVix Simulators. It is free to use in the browser on desktop and phone, with no sign-up.