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Earth is rounded into an ellipsoid with a circumference of about 40,000 km. It is the densest planet in the Solar System. Of the four rocky planets, it is the largest and most massive. Earth is about eight light-minutes away from the Sun and orbits it, taking a year (about 365.25 days) to complete one revolution.
If the extraterrestrial solar radiation is 1,367 watts per square meter (the value when the Earth–Sun distance is 1 astronomical unit), then the direct sunlight at Earth's surface when the Sun is at the zenith is about 1,050 W/m 2, but the total amount (direct and indirect from the atmosphere) hitting the ground is around 1,120 W/m 2. [6]
Area swept by Earth's orbit around the Sun 10 23 160 000 Gm 2: Area swept by Mars' orbit around the Sun 281 000 Gm 2: Surface area of a Dyson sphere with a radius of 1 AU 10 24: 1 yotta square meter (m 2) 1 square terametre (Tm 2) 1.9 Tm 2: Area swept by Jupiter's orbit around the Sun 6.4 Tm 2: Area swept by Saturn's orbit around the Sun 8.5 Tm 2
Earth's orbit. Earth orbits the Sun at an average distance of 149.60 million km (92.96 million mi), or 8.317 light-minutes, [1] in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from above the Northern Hemisphere. One complete orbit takes 365.256 days (1 sidereal year), during which time Earth has traveled 940 million km (584 million mi). [2]
Irradiance in space is a function of distance from the Sun, the solar cycle, and cross-cycle changes. [ 2 ] Irradiance on the Earth's surface additionally depends on the tilt of the measuring surface, the height of the Sun above the horizon, and atmospheric conditions. [ 3 ] Solar irradiance affects plant metabolism and animal behavior.
Solar radius is a unit of distance used to express the size of stars in astronomy relative to the Sun. The solar radius is usually defined as the radius to the layer in the Sun 's photosphere where the optical depth equals 2/3: [ 1 ] 695,700 kilometres (432,300 miles) is approximately 10 times the average radius of Jupiter, 109 times the radius ...
The solar constant is equal to approximately 1,368 W/m 2 (watts per square meter) at a distance of one astronomical unit (AU) from the Sun (that is, at or near Earth's orbit). [99] Sunlight on the surface of Earth is attenuated by Earth's atmosphere , so that less power arrives at the surface (closer to 1,000 W/m 2 ) in clear conditions when ...
Symbol. M☉. In SI base units. 1.988 416 × 1030 kg[1] The solar mass (M☉) is a standard unit of mass in astronomy, equal to approximately 2 × 1030 kg. It is approximately equal to the mass of the Sun. It is often used to indicate the masses of other stars, as well as stellar clusters, nebulae, galaxies and black holes.