Have you ever flown from one side of the planet to another? If you live in a country as big as Canada, you may have sat in a long seven-hour flight from Vancouver to Halifax, wondering exactly how big our planet is.
Earth is a large planet compared to other celestial objects in our solar system. But how does Earth measure up to the sun and the other planets in our solar system? Is it truly viable to colonize other planets considering Earth’s size?
In this article, you’ll discover the mass of Earth and the planet’s other measurements to give you a better idea of how big our planet actually is. What’s more, you’ll discover the mass and size of the other planets in our solar system to help you visualize where we measure up in the grand scheme of the solar system.
Let’s jump right in!
Contents
What Is the Mass of Earth?
How much does the Earth weigh? A whopping 5.9 quadrillion kilograms. That is a truly astronomical weight you will only ever hear regarding our solar system. The radius of Earth is also quite large, measuring in at 6,378 kilometers or 3,963 miles and a diameter of 12,756 km or 7,930 miles.
This may sound very large, but you may be surprised to learn that Earth is only the 5th biggest planet in our solar system. Wondering which planets are bigger than Earth and how planet Earth compares to other planets in our solar system? Let’s find out.
Masses of Other Planets
As mentioned, Earth is the fifth biggest planet in our solar system. Our solar system consists of eight planets, meaning four are bigger than Earth, and three are smaller.
However, this is strictly size and not mass. A planet’s size is not necessarily proportional to its mass. You may be surprised to learn how Earth measures up in terms of mass with most of the other planets in our solar system.
Let’s look at the size and mass of other planets in our solar system to see how the mass of Earth measures up. For simplicity in comparison, we’ll measure the mass of these other planets by Earth’s Mass. We’ll start with the rocky terrestrial planets and then move on to the gas giants.
Mercury
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, with a diameter of only 4,879 km / 3,032 mi and a 2,439 km / 1,516 mi radius. With such small stature, unsurprisingly, it is also the lightest planet in the solar system, having a mass of 0.055 Earth masses.
Venus
Venus is the sixth largest planet in our solar system. Its diameter is 12,104 km / 7,521 mi, and a radius of around 6,051 km / 3,760 mi.
While Venus is smaller than Earth, it’s only slightly smaller. Its mass isn’t too far off Earth’s, weighing about 0.9 Earth masses. It’s also quite a dense planet, the third densest planet in our solar system.
Mars
Mars is the second smallest planet in our solar system, having a diameter of only 6,779 km / 4,212 mi (30% bigger than Mercury) and a radius of 3,389 km / 2,105 mi. This makes it significantly smaller than Earth, resulting in a mass of 0.11 Earth masses.
Jupiter
Chances are that you’re familiar with the gigantic size of Jupiter. It is definitely the biggest planet in our solar system. With a diameter of around 142,984 km / 88,846 mi at the equator, about 133,708 km / 83,082 mi at the poles, and a mean radius of 69,911 km / 43,440 mi, Jupiter can fit about 1300 Earths.
Unsurprisingly, it also has a massive mass of 317.8 Earth masses. The main surprise is that, as a gas ball, Jupiter has a lower density than other terrestrial planets. However, this planet can still eclipse Earth in size and mass and has a significant presence in our solar system.
Saturn
Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system, known for its signature rings. Like Jupiter, it is enormous compared to Earth, with a diameter of approximately 120,536 km / 74,897 mi and a radius of around 58,232 km / 36,183 mi. Its mass is also significant, coming in at 95 Earth masses. You could also fit about 318 Earths inside Saturn.
Uranus
Uranus is the coldest of the planets in our solar system. In terms of size, it is the third largest planet in our solar system, with a diameter of around 51,118 km / 31,763 mi and a radius of 25362 km / 15,759 mi. The planet also has a large mass of 14.53 Earth masses.
Neptune
Like Uranus, Neptune is one of the coldest planets in our solar system. It is also the fourth largest planet in the solar system. Neptune has a diameter of 49,244 km / 30,598 mi, a radius of 24,764 km / 15,387 miles, and a mass equivalent to 17.15 Earth masses.
Bonus: Pluto
Even though Pluto was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet, if it were still considered a planet, it would be the smallest planet in the solar system. Pluto has a diameter of around 2,376 km / 1,476 mi and a radius of around 1,188 km / 738 mi. It also has a mass of only 0.01 Earth masses.
Additional Facts About the Mass of Earth
Here are a few bonus facts about Earth’s mass to provide an additional perspective.
- The sun has a diameter that is 109 times greater than Earth’s and a mass that is 330,000 times more than Earth’s.
- A planet’s mass is not always proportionate to its size due to variations in density.
- Earth’s mass is variable, subject to gain and loss due to the accretion of infalling material, including cosmic material, and hydrogen and helium gas loss.
The Takeaway: The Significance of the Mass of Earth
How much does planet Earth weigh? To recap, the Earth’s mass is 5.9 quadrillion kilograms, which makes it the fifth largest planet in our solar system. While Earth’s weight is significant, it is nowhere near the largest celestial body in our solar system.
Hopefully, this article has put things into perspective and helped you realize how big the universe actually is!
