Size Scales of the Universe

Part of Scales of the Universe.

Scales of the universe_HERO AMNH/D. Finnin

The Hayden Sphere in front of you serves as a scale of reference for exploring this entire range of sizes.  For example, if the Hayden Sphere—26.5 meters (87 feet) in diameter—represents the size of the Sun, then Jupiter stretches 2.7 meters (9 feet) across, while Earth is a mere 24 centimeters (9.5 inches) in diameter.