How big are space objects?
Size comparison between Earth and Mars
Astronomers can tell us very accurately the size of objects in our Solar System, but often the numbers are just too big for us to really comprehend.
Sometimes it helps to visit a place, to see how big things are, such as going up the Eiffel Tower or climbing in the Alps, but we can not all go into space to see for ourselves! So here are some well-known parts of our Solar System - seen next to places on Earth which you might recognise - so we can get a better impression of just how big these space objects are.
Saturn's moon Phoebe and the Netherlands
Martian volcano Olympus Mons and Italy
Comet Halley and Ibiza
Jupiter's Great Red Spot and Earth
A typical sunspot and Earth
Crater on Phoebe and San Francisco
Related links
- SOHO overview
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/SOHO_overview2 - Mars Express overview
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Mars_Express_overview - Giotto overview
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Giotto_overview - Cassini-Huygens overview
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Cassini-Huygens_overview - Sunspot as big as three planet Earths!
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Space_sensations/Sunspot_as_big_as_three_planet_Earths - Space is big, but not big enough
http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Welcome_to_ESA/Space_is_big_but_not_big_enough - How many planets are outside our Solar System?
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/How_many_planets_are_outside_our_Solar_System - The biggest solar X-ray flare ever is classified as X28
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Extreme_space/The_biggest_solar_X-ray_flare_ever_is_classified_as_X28 - Too big to fit...
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Cassini-Huygens/Too_big_to_fit - How many comets are there?
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/How_many_comets_are_there - The largest telescope mirror ever put into space
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Herschel/The_largest_telescope_mirror_ever_put_into_space - Mega starbirth cluster is biggest, brightest and hottest ever seen
http://www.esa.int/ESA/Focus_On/Mega_starbirth_cluster_is_biggest_brightest_and_hottest_ever_seen - How many stars are there in the Universe?
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Herschel/How_many_stars_are_there_in_the_Universe