Samuel Chiltern answered
The Sun is by far the largest body in the solar system in terms of circumference, diameter and mass. To give you an idea of its scale, I can tell you that it accounts for 99.86% of all of the mass in the solar system.
The Circumference of the Sun
Circumference is the measurement of the linear distance around the outer edge of a closed curve, or sphere.
The equatorial circumference of celestial bodies is always taken from an imaginary line drawn around the equator (the exact middle of the body).
The equatorial circumference of the Sun is 2.7 million miles, which is 109 times greater than that of the Earth.
The Diameter of the Sun
A diameter is the measurement through the middle of a circle, or sphere, taken from the absolute centre on one side, right the way through to the other. Again, with an astronomical body, this would be taken from one side of the equator, to the other.
The diameter of the Sun is approximately 865,373 miles.
The Mass of the Sun
Mass is slightly trickier to define, but it can be broadly likened to weight. However, to be accurate, weight is the product of mass, multiplied by the force of gravity. This is why, in astronomical terms, we simply use mass instead - because gravity varies depending upon the mass of the celestial body we are measuring.
The mass of the Sun is incredibly large, and our basic units of measurement are inadequate for the task in hand. This is why we normally use scientific notation to represent such huge numbers.
In scientific notation, the Sun's mass is approximately 2 x 10, to the power of 30 kilograms. This basically translates as a number '2' with 30 zeroes after it, which is an enormous number.
The Circumference of the Sun
Circumference is the measurement of the linear distance around the outer edge of a closed curve, or sphere.
The equatorial circumference of celestial bodies is always taken from an imaginary line drawn around the equator (the exact middle of the body).
The equatorial circumference of the Sun is 2.7 million miles, which is 109 times greater than that of the Earth.
The Diameter of the Sun
A diameter is the measurement through the middle of a circle, or sphere, taken from the absolute centre on one side, right the way through to the other. Again, with an astronomical body, this would be taken from one side of the equator, to the other.
The diameter of the Sun is approximately 865,373 miles.
The Mass of the Sun
Mass is slightly trickier to define, but it can be broadly likened to weight. However, to be accurate, weight is the product of mass, multiplied by the force of gravity. This is why, in astronomical terms, we simply use mass instead - because gravity varies depending upon the mass of the celestial body we are measuring.
The mass of the Sun is incredibly large, and our basic units of measurement are inadequate for the task in hand. This is why we normally use scientific notation to represent such huge numbers.
In scientific notation, the Sun's mass is approximately 2 x 10, to the power of 30 kilograms. This basically translates as a number '2' with 30 zeroes after it, which is an enormous number.
