SIZE IN SPACE

planet · Object guide

How big is Neptune?

A close match invites a closer look.

One scale. Two worlds.True diameter scale
Neptune and Earth to scaleTheir diameters differ by a factor of 3.8647. Illustrations show body diameter, not separation in space.

Body diameters to scale. Positions and surface artwork are illustrative; Saturn’s rings are excluded.

A change of perspective

3.8647× the diameter. See how the two worlds measure up.

Diameter is a distance across an object. Volume grows with the cube of that distance.

Choose a size to bring this comparison down to Earth.

Neptune: Twice the source mean radius; body diameter only, excluding rings.

Earth: Twice the source mean radius; body diameter only, excluding rings.

How we measure size →
Mean diameter

49,244 km

Twice the source mean radius; body diameter only, excluding rings.

Neptune and Uranus make a useful pairing when you want to examine small differences rather than enormous ones. Their disks are close in size, so the numerical result helps where a quick glance may not.

What the illustration means

The artwork identifies the object; it is not a scientific surface map. The disk’s diameter carries the measurement. Use the same mean-diameter convention for both planets before comparing their outlines.

Measurement source

Planetary Physical Parameters — NASA JPL. Twice the source mean radius; body diameter only, excluding rings.

Source references