SIZE IN SPACE

moon · Object guide

How big is Ganymede?

A moon that can outsize a planet.

One scale. Two worlds.True diameter scale
Ganymede and Earth to scaleTheir diameters differ by a factor of 2.4213. 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

2.4213× 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.

Ganymede: 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

5,262.4 km

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

Put Ganymede beside Mercury. The result is a reminder that “moon” describes a relationship, not a size category. You can compare an object’s diameter without assuming that its astronomical label predicts the result.

Follow the comparison

Next, put Ganymede beside Jupiter. A large moon becomes a small disk against a giant planet. The scene compares their bodies, not their orbital separation or gravitational influence.

Measurement source

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

Source references