How does the Sun compare with Earth in radius, mass, volume, and surface area?
The Sun is a massive celestial body that dwarfs Earth in every physical dimension. Its scale relative to our planet is summarized below:
| Property | Comparison to Earth |
| :--- | :--- |
| Radius | 109 times greater12|
| Mass | 330,000 times greater12|
| Volume | More than 1,000,000 times greater1|
| Surface Area | About 12,000 times greater1|
The Sun accounts for more than 99 percent of the total mass of the solar system, and its immense gravitational pull is what keeps Earth and the other planets in their respective orbits. While the Sun is often described as having a surfaceāthe photosphereāit is important to note that because the Sun is composed of gaseous atoms, it does not possess a solid or liquid surface like Earth. The photosphere is simply the layer from which most of the Sun's radiation is emitted and reaches us.12