Introduction Size & Mass Temperature Composition Orbit

Mercury vs. The Sun

A tale of cosmic extremes. This interactive experience compares our solar system's smallest planet with the colossal star at its center. Explore the incredible differences in size, temperature, and environment that define these two celestial bodies.

Size & Mass: A Gulf of Difference

The scale difference is almost incomprehensible. To visualize this, our chart uses a logarithmic scale; otherwise, Mercury would be an invisible speck. The Sun's diameter is about 285 times larger than Mercury's.

Mercury

~4,880 km

Diameter

~0.055x

Earth's Mass

The Sun

~1.39 million km

Diameter

~333,000x

Earth's Mass

Temperature: A Fiery Furnace vs. Extreme Swings

Mercury endures the most dramatic temperature changes in the solar system, while the Sun's surface remains consistently hot. Use the button below to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit and see the data update.

Composition & Atmosphere

One is a dense, rocky world with a massive metallic core and a barely-there atmosphere. The other is a colossal ball of incandescent plasma.

🪨Mercury

Type: Terrestrial planet.

Core: Large metallic core (likely iron), making up a significant portion of its mass.

Atmosphere: An incredibly thin exosphere, not a true atmosphere. Composed of atoms blasted from the surface by solar wind (oxygen, sodium, hydrogen, helium).

☀️The Sun

Type: Star (Yellow Dwarf).

Composition: Almost entirely gas, existing as plasma. About 75% hydrogen and 24% helium.

Energy Source: Nuclear fusion in its core, converting hydrogen to helium.

The Fundamental Relationship: Orbit

Mercury is bound by the Sun's immense gravity, completing a full orbit faster than any other planet. Its path is the most eccentric (egg-shaped), as shown in this simplified animation.

Orbital Facts

Orbital Period (Year):
88 Earth days

Distance from Sun:
Varies from 46 to 70 million km

An interactive data visualization.