Planets, Sun and star sizes compared

We just got this fantastic animation in from top space artist Dr Mark Garlick, and we felt we had to share it. The animation shows the relative sizes of all the planets in the Solar System, from the smallest to the largest. Then it shows how the Sun dwarfs even massive Jupiter. And then things get *really* big. Enjoy!

For best results, watch in HD. You can see the clip and its detailed caption on our website: search for K003/2437.

[Hannah_Em]

Very true, although my understanding is that even Hydrogen clouds can be compressed by the gravitational forces between molecules, as this is eventually how stars ended up forming in the very early universe, when elemental hydrogen was pretty much the only raw material around.

[kafflute]

Never in my life have I felt so small and insignificant, but this is totally awesome!!!!

[hellothere]

they are all like I'm bigger than you no!! I'm much bigger than you Biggest Star: I'm bigger than all of you The Milky Way: I'm The Biggest here

[mr_bottomtooth]

True, Pluto isn't considered a planet anymore. However it is not a satellite of Neptune either. Pluto is amongst a "new class of stellar objects" called dwarf planets. Unlike actual planets those dwarf planets do not dominate their orbit around the sun by clearing it of other smaller bodies.

[MagnumForce]

I shall quote something I picked up through a google search:

"You may read or hear people using Luna for the Moon, or Terra or Gaia for the Earth, or Sol for the Sun, but in English-speaking countries, these are poetic terms, often seen in science fiction stories, but not used by astronomers in scientific writing. In some countries where Romance languages are spoken, these terms are the official names."

[oldgordo]

Planets are so puny compared to stars....lol...pretty good representation of the actual sizes of planets, Sun and stars...they even got Venus' backward rotation correct.

[MagnumForce]

Don't forget that many stars are born in areas where there is only hydrogen and very little of the other heavier elements thus there is a lack of planets. Gas giants like Jupiter for example are said to have solid rocky cores.

If there is no large solid matter for the gasses to be pulled too, then there will be no gas giants forming.

Then there's stars that are born with little rotation. It's generally compression waves from supernovas that induce spin into a new star and future planets.

[Hannah_Em]

Planetary formation can be disrupted, for example by another large body (i.e star or black hole) passing nearby, meaning that planets never get a chance to form around a star, or planets can be removed or destroyed later by very massive objects, again either other stars or black holes passing close by the system. Of course, there is also the situation you described, where the star expands and envelops the planets, either then collapsing or going supernova :)

[Hannah_Em]

Sol is the Latin name for the Sun, and is often used to refer to it, because "sun" could arguably refer to any star with planets orbiting around it.
It's just to avoid confusion :)

[Hannah_Em]

Thankyou - and no problems :)
I'm hoping to go and study physics and astronomy at Uni next year, so this is something I'm pretty interested in, too :)

[splmotion]

Yep that's right. When Aldebaran appears you can see Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The largest one visible at the end is the orbit of Uranus. Big stars...

[BentoDeSago]

In Portuguese Sun is Sol, Earth is Terra, and "Luna" is the spanish word for Moon. So nothing new or weird about those different ways of calling the cosmos objects.

[samreilly]

If you got as close to Betelgeuse or VY Canis Majoris as Neptune is to the sun, you’d incinerate faster than you could say “Betelgeuse” or “VY Canis Majoris”!

[hurgusburgus]

Mercury: Such a nice day today.
Mars: Hello, Mercury.
Mercury: Hello Mars,
Venus: Hello Guys!
Earth: Are you guys having a party here?
Neptune: No we are just talking.
Earth: Oh hey, big brother.
Uranus: I hope you don't laugh at my name
All the planets except Uranus: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAa
Saturn: How are you kids doing?
All the planets: Hi, Mom.
Jupiter: How's it going?
All the planets again: Hi dad.
Sun: Hello, everyone!
All the planets: STOP YOUR MAKING US HOT UNCLE
Sirius A: How's it going today?
All the planets plus sun: Its doing great!
Arcturus: I'm bigger than all of you!
All the planets plus Sirius A and the Sun: Stop bragging someone else is gonna come bigger than you.
Arcturus: Yeah right.
*Aldebaran comes in*
Aldebaran: Stop bragging!
Arcturus:
Rigel: What's with the yelling over here?!
Betelgeuse:Can you all stop yelling!?
VY Canis Majoris: Ok, Ok, its time to stop! (did I randomly type a meme)

[cinnamonstick]

Very easy to understand💥
The most understandable video I've ever watched.💫

[HarpyEagleLover]

OMG ur profile pic thing scared the shit outta me! I thought there was a spider on meh screen and went into cardiac then I realised it was a pic and laughed to hard my face explodedeeded overeee, my keryboard sop noww i dnt knowi whaty oim typing :3

[justisfiller]

Mercury: Im Back From Work!
Mars: So Am I!
Venus: Me Too
Earth: Me Three!
Venus: Earth, It's Not Me Three! It's Just Me Too!
Earth: No It's Me Three!
Neptune: Venus And Earth! Stop Fighting!
Uranus: I'm Brighter Than You, Neptune!
Neptune: No! Im Brighter Than You!
Saturn: Neptune And Uranus, Stop Fighting!
Jupiter: Saturn! Let's Play Hide And Seek! Im Right Behind You!
Sun: What Did I Tell You Planets? I Told You Not To Play Games! >:O
Sirius A: Hi! Im A Blue Dwarf!
Arcturus: Shut Up! Sirius A!
Aldebaran: I Have Bigger Sun Spots Than You, Arcturus!
Rigel: Im A Different Hue Than You, Aldebaran!
Betelgeuse: Im The Biggest Red Giant!
VY Canis Majoris: No! Im The Biggest Red Giant!
UY Scuti (Hidden Somewhere): Stop Fighting You Two!
The End. Or Is It?

[skullduggery]

if betelgeuse, a red giant star, was our own star (that's the sun to you), it would extend out to jupiter... wow...that's fashinatin' shtuff, ain't it, roy?

[skullduggery]

and it has some pretty epic sized coronal mass ejections; enough to disable any comet that might be in it's orbit at the time.

[mulimongol]

wow..! you sound smart! :3 and thx for the explanation because I really like knowing about planets ^^'