4 ms·

I'm confused.. I always thought the big planets were a lot lot larger than earth

disillusioned 3y ago
And... indeed they are. But the diameters of each of the other planets combined are less than the average distance between the Earth and the Moon: Average distance from Earth to the Moon: Approximately 384,400 kilometers. Diameters of the other planets: Mercury: 4,880 kilometers Venus: 12,104 kilometers Mars: 6,779 kilometers Jupiter: 139,820 kilometers Saturn: 116,460 kilometers Uranus: 50,724 kilometers Neptune: 49,244 kilometers For a total of 380,011 km, so 4,000 km to spare!
- emayljames 3y ago
  Does this account for most measurements being from the center of earth to center of moon? So needs both max surface levels subtracted.
  - dkpk 3y ago
    Good point. The image doesn’t mention but the calculations do subtract radii of both Earth and the Moon.
sph 3y ago
Check the picture in the post. I'm pretty sure it is to scale. They are much larger, but the moon is much further away from Earth than you imagined.
- jbverschoor 3y ago
  The thing is that it doesn't look to scale to me. But that's probably because most other visualizations/models are not right. Especially in the distances. I checked some other images and while the planets seem to scale, my brain multiplies the size of the planets with the distance ratio.
rwmj 3y ago
Another way of saying it is that the moon is surprisingly far away and it was a real achievement to visit there.
- extraduder_ire 3y ago
  Even more than mars or other planets, I think of the distance to the moon in terms of light-seconds. About 1.5 seconds away. (really 1.3) I had known this fact for a while, but the ending of portal 2 really solidified it in my mind.
  - freedomben 3y ago
    Ha! I've been fighting the urge to make a portal 2 comment. What a wonderful game
    - ChrisMarshallNY 3y ago
      I miss it. I think the smarmy British bot character (Wheatley) won some kind of award.
      - freedomben 3y ago
        They really did a fantastic job with Wheatley. The comedy style isn't for everyone (my wife for example hates it) but for me it is incredibly enjoyable
        ChrisMarshallNY 3y ago
        I bet he was the inspiration for Claptrap, in Borderlands.
publius_0xf3 3y ago
"But steel is heavier than feathers."

And... indeed they are. But the diameters of each of the other planets combined are less than the average distance between the Earth and the Moon: Average distance from Earth to the Moon: Approximately 384,400 kilometers. Diameters of the other planets: Mercury: 4,880 kilometers Venus: 12,104 kilometers Mars: 6,779 kilometers Jupiter: 139,820 kilometers Saturn: 116,460 kilometers Uranus: 50,724 kilometers Neptune: 49,244 kilometers For a total of 380,011 km, so 4,000 km to spare!

emayljames 3y ago
Does this account for most measurements being from the center of earth to center of moon? So needs both max surface levels subtracted.
- dkpk 3y ago
  Good point. The image doesn’t mention but the calculations do subtract radii of both Earth and the Moon.

sph 3y ago

Check the picture in the post. I'm pretty sure it is to scale. They are much larger, but the moon is much further away from Earth than you imagined.

jbverschoor 3y ago
The thing is that it doesn't look to scale to me. But that's probably because most other visualizations/models are not right. Especially in the distances. I checked some other images and while the planets seem to scale, my brain multiplies the size of the planets with the distance ratio.

rwmj 3y ago

Another way of saying it is that the moon is surprisingly far away and it was a real achievement to visit there.

extraduder_ire 3y ago
Even more than mars or other planets, I think of the distance to the moon in terms of light-seconds. About 1.5 seconds away. (really 1.3) I had known this fact for a while, but the ending of portal 2 really solidified it in my mind.
- freedomben 3y ago
  Ha! I've been fighting the urge to make a portal 2 comment. What a wonderful game
  - ChrisMarshallNY 3y ago
    I miss it. I think the smarmy British bot character (Wheatley) won some kind of award.
    - freedomben 3y ago
      They really did a fantastic job with Wheatley. The comedy style isn't for everyone (my wife for example hates it) but for me it is incredibly enjoyable
      - ChrisMarshallNY 3y ago
        I bet he was the inspiration for Claptrap, in Borderlands.

publius_0xf3 3y ago

"But steel is heavier than feathers."