Angular Size

Why things look big or small depends on size and distance

Station Card (PDF)
Observer
Angular Size
0.53
degrees
Physical Size
1.39
million km
Distance
150
million km
Distance 150 Mkm
Physical Size 1.39 Mkm
Astronomical Objects
Model note: Angular size uses the exact angular diameter formula; at very close distances, angles saturate. For visibility, the diagram's rays/object are visually magnified (the numeric readout is the authoritative value). Units may auto-switch (° / ′ / ″). Internal units = km.
Thumb rule: Your thumb at arm's length covers about of sky. The Sun and Moon each cover about 0.5° — a quarter of your thumb width!