As per NASA, the Sun has a radius of about 432,000 miles (695,000 kilometers) and takes about 99.86% of the entire mass of the Solar System. On the other hand, Earth only has a radius of about 3,946 miles (6,350 kilometers) and makes up a small amount of the total mass in the Solar System.
So, a quick search on the internet would give a result that about 1.3 million earths can fit inside that enormous ball of fire. However, it is not that simple as the planet's mass, volume and diameter should be considered to exactly calculate the number of earths that could fit into the Sun.
Is It True That 1.3 Million Earths Can Fit Inside the Sun? Science Enthusiast Debunks Previous Calculations
Fitting Over a Milion Earths Inside the Solar System's Star
As per the American space agency, the Sun is already 4.5 billion years and continues to glow as well as undergo its 11-year cycle. This hot, incandescent ball of hydrogen and helium is around 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from Earth, and life on the planet would not be possible without its energy.
The Sun is the biggest object in the Solar System and to fill its volume would need 1.3 million earths. Its gravity binds the solar system together, keeping everything in orbit around it, from the largest planets to the tiniest particles of junk.
The Sun's core is the hottest portion, with temperatures reaching 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15 million degrees Celsius). The Sun's activity affects the nature of space throughout the solar system, from its tremendous eruptions to the continuous stream of charged particles it emits.
Moreover, Sky at Night Magazine reports that the Sun has a mass of 1,988,500x1024 kg while the Earth has a mass of 5.9724 x1024 kg, hence one Sun equals approximately 333,000 Earth masses. In terms of volume, the Sun has a capacity of 1,412,000 x10^12 km^3, while Earth's volume is 1.083 x10^12 km^3.
So, if Earth is a malleable sphere that can be compressed without any gaps, it would require approximately 1.3 million earths to fill the Sun.
Considering their diameters, the Sun has a diameter of 1,392,000 km (864,000 miles), while Earth's diameter measures 12,742 km (7,917 miles). Hence, Earth could be aligned across the face of the Sun approximately 109 times. In terms of surface area, the Sun's surface is 12,000 times larger than that of Earth.
Debunking Current Calculations
The current calculation considers the planet as a malleable object. However, Earth remains physically intact and that number may not be a realistic estimation of how many earths could exactly fit in the Sun.
Nick Lucid, a science enthusiast and YouTuber, has already undertaken the task of calculating this scenario when proved in his video that 1,300,000 earths will not fit in the Sun. Lucid approaches this surprisingly intricate equation by considering the Earth as a solid sphere and conducting several simulations.
IFL Science reported that Lucid arrived at a significantly different result from the previously estimated 1.3 million earths as he took into account the packing density percentage
Through both a coded simulation and cross-referencing with a real-life model, Lucid determines that the total number of intact Earths that could fit inside the Sun is only 932,884. This calculation incorporates a packing density of 72.03%, which accounts for the space between the planets. Therefore, for as long as Earth maintains its non-liquid state, the answer will not be 1.3 million.
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