Jupiter radius
The Jupiter radius or Jovian radius (RJ or RJup) has a value of 71,492 km (44,423 mi), or 11.2 Earth radii (REarth)[2] (one Earth radius equals 0.08921 RJ). The Jupiter radius is a unit of length used in astronomy to describe the radii of gas giants and some extrasolar planets. It is also used in describing brown dwarfs.
| Jupiter radius | |
|---|---|
![]() The size of Jupiter compared to Earth | |
| General information | |
| Unit system | astronomy |
| Unit of | length |
| Symbol | RJ or RJup,R♃ |
| Conversions | |
| 1 RJ in ... | ... is equal to ... |
| SI base units | 7.1492×107 m[1] |
| English units | 44423 mi |
In 2015, the International Astronomical Union defined the nominal equatorial Jovian radius to remain constant regardless of subsequent improvements in measurement precision of RJ. This constant is defined as exactly:
- = 7.1492×107 m
Similarly, the nominal polar Jovian radius is defined to be exactly:
- = 6.6854×107 m[1]
These values correspond to the radius of Jupiter at 1 bar of pressure. The common usage is to refer to the equatorial radius, unless the polar radius is specifically needed.
Comparison
| Object | RJ / Robject | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar radius | 41 | |
| Earth radius | 11.209 | [2] |
| Jupiter | 1 | by definition |
| Solar radius | 0.10045 |
For comparison, one Solar radius is equivalent to:
- 400 Lunar radius(RL)
- 109 Earth radius (REarth)
- 9.735 Jupiter radius (RJ)
References
- Mamajek, E. E; Prsa, A; Torres, G; et al. (2015). "IAU 2015 Resolution B3 on Recommended Nominal Conversion Constants for Selected Solar and Planetary Properties". arXiv:1510.07674 [astro-ph.SR].
- Williams, Dr. David R. (2 November 2007). "Jupiter Fact Sheet". NASA. Retrieved 2009-07-16.

