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Credit & Copyright: Thierry Legault
Explanation:
How big is the Sun?
The Sun
is not only larger than any planet,
it is larger than all of the
planets put together.
The Sun accounts for about 99.9 percent of all the mass in
its
Solar System.
Merely stating the Sun's diameter is about 1,400,000
kilometers
does not do it justice.
Last week a chance to gain visual size perspective
occurred when planet
Mercury made a rare
crossing in front to Sun.
Mercury, a planet over a third of the diameter of our
Earth,
is the dark dot on the upper right.
In comparison to the Sun, Mercury is so small it is initially
hard to spot.
Also visible on the Sun are dark circular sunspots, bright plages, and dark elongated
prominences -- many of which are larger than Mercury.
The above contrast-enhanced picture was
captured last week from
France.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mercury - Sun - transit
Publications with words: Mercury - Sun - transit
See also:
- APOD: 2024 May 28 Á Solar X Flare as Famous Active Region Returns
- APOD: 2024 May 26 Á A Solar Filament Erupts
- APOD: 2024 February 19 Á Looking Sideways from the Parker Solar Probe
- Circling the Sun
- APOD: 2023 December 11 Á Solar Minimum versus Solar Maximum
- APOD: 2023 November 19 Á Space Station, Solar Prominences, Sun
- APOD: 2023 October 25 Á Gone in 60 Seconds: A Green Flash Sunset