This universe, all the planets, their Moons, and the whole solar system is full of facts and mysteries that will leave you awed for hours or even days. Many of you may also have the habit of looking at the Moon in the night sky and admiring it. This ball of light is mesmerizing and looks quite small compared to the darker horizon at night but its actual size exceeds your imagination. Do you know how big is the Moon and how many times bigger is Earth than the Moon? Let’s learn about the Moon you all see but know a little about.
1. How Big is the Moon? What is the Mass of the Moon?
The Moon that you see is the Earth’s sole natural satellite. It moderates the Earth’s climate and also stabilizes its wobble. It is believed that Moon was formed when a Mars-sized body collided with the Earth. It is the 5th largest in the solar system among the other 200 plus moons orbiting other planets in this solar system.
Moon has a surface area of about 14.6 million square miles which is even lesser than the 17.2 million square miles surface area of the Asian continent. The Moon is 7.35 × 1022 kilograms in mass. Must read 18 fun facts about Space.
2. How Big is the Earth? What is the Mass of the Earth?
Among the 8 planets of this solar system, the Earth holds the position of the fifth largest planet. It’s only smaller than gas giants like Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter. It is way bigger than Venus, Mercury, and Mars. It is the largest terrestrial planet in the inner solar system. It occupies a total surface area of 197 million square miles. It has a massive volume and mass of 1 trillion cubic km and 6.6 sextillion tons ( 5.9722 x 1024 kg) respectively. To know how many times bigger is Earth than the Moon, dive into the next segments. Also, check out how long does it take to walk around the Earth?
3. Is the Moon smaller than the Earth?
Moon may appear to some to be quite enormous, however, it is not. It is just the closest celestial body to the Earth and is just a quarter of the Earth’s size. If we think of the Earth as a nickel, then Moon is just as big as a coffee bean. The Moon has a surface size of 14.6 million square miles, while the Earth has a surface area of 197 million square miles. The mass of the Moon is 7.35 × 1022 kg which is just 1.2 percent of the Earth’s mass (5.9722 x 1024 kg). So, yes Moon is way smaller than the Earth. (See What are the 6 Layers of the Earth?)
4. How many times Bigger is Earth than the Moon?
After understanding how small the Moon is, let us find out how many times bigger is Earth than the Moon. According to NASA, Moon is 3.7 times smaller than the Earth in terms of size. The density of the Earth is 5.513 grams per cubic centimeter, much greater than the 3.34 grams per cubic centimeter density of the Moon. So, even if the Earth is just 3.7 times bigger than the Moon, it’s way more massive than the Moon because of its density. (See What is the Biggest Thing on Earth?)
5. Why does Earth only have 1 Moon?
Jovian planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have close to 90 moons but terrestrial planets likeEarth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars have just three moons out of which two belong to Mars and one to the Earth. The reason for Earth having one is linked to the solar system’s formation. According to a scientific theory, it is believed that the Earth’s moon was formed 4.5 billion years ago when Theia, a Mars-sized body collided with the Earth.
Apart from how many times bigger is Earth than the Moon, one more interesting fact is that there is a possibility that Earth had more than one moon some millions or billions of years ago. It’s even possible for the Earth to lose and gain more moons in the future. For example, Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos. The larger one is Phobos and it is expected that in the coming 10 million years this Moon will crash into the planet and thus Mars will be left with just one Moon. (See What makes up the Lithosphere?)
6. How many Moons would fit inside the Earth?
The diameter of the Earth is 12,742 km whereas the diameter of the Moon is 3,474 km. As a result, Moon is only around 27% the size of the Earth. Its diameter is even smaller than the USA’s width. The mass of the Earth is equal to the mass of 81 and a ½ moons. The volume of the Earth is 260 billion cubic miles so if the Earth is hollowed out it can fit up to 50 Moons in total. This explains how many times bigger is Earth than the Moon. Also, check out where is the Center of the Earth Located?
7. Is Australia bigger than the Moon?
Australia may be as wide as the Moon but it’s actually quite smaller than the Moon in terms of surface area. The surface area of the Moon is 37.94 million square kilometers whereas the surface area of Australia is 7.69 million square kilometers. Moon’s surface area is approximately five times more than that of Australia which makes it quite clear that the Moon is way bigger than Australia. (See What are Physical Features in Geography?)
8. Which is Biggest: Earth, Moon or Sun?
When you look at the sky you may think the Sun and Moon are about the same size and are smaller than the Earth. But think again you may be wrong.
- Moon is 3.7 times smaller than the Earth.
- The Sun, on the other hand, is the solar system’s center and contains 99.8% of its mass. It has the capacity to fit a million piles of Earth inside it and is also about 400 times bigger than the Moon.
- So, it’s quite clear that the Sun is the biggest among the three. The Sun is then followed by the Earth and then the Moon in terms of size. Must read how hot is the Sun?
9. Is the Sun bigger than the Earth?
Besides how many times bigger is Earth than the Moon, let’s talk about the size of the Sun. Sun is the core of our solar system. It is also the largest object in your solar system, carrying 99.8% of the mass of the entire system. It also has a diameter 109 times that of the Earth. Its massive volume can fit 1.3 million piles of Earth in it. It is a hundred times wider than the Earth. If the Earth is the size of nickel then the Sun is the size of a door. It is a given that the Sun is bigger than the Earth. Also, check out In Which Direction does the Sun Set?
10. Do all Planets have Moons?
All of the planets, with the exception of Mercury and Venus, have moons. The number of moons as well as their shape, size, and type varies from planet to planet. Here is a list of planets and their moons. (See What is the Color of Each Planet?)
| Planets | Number of Moons | Name of Moons |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 0 | none |
| Venus | 0 | none |
| Earth | 1 | The Moon |
| Mars | 2 | Phobos, Deimos |
| Jupiter | 79( 53 confirmed, 26 provisional) | Europa, Callisto, Ganymede, etc. are some primary moons of Jupiter. |
| Saturn | 82( 53 confirmed, 29 provisional) | Have moons like Titan, Mimas, Tethys, and Enceladus. |
| Uranus | 27 | Miranda, Titania, Oberon, Ariel, and Umbriel are its primary moons. |
| Neptune | 14 | Have moons like Galatea, Larissa, Hippocamp, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, and Proteus. |
