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Angular diameter

The angular diameter of an object as seen from a given position is the diameter measured as an angle. It satisfies the formula δ = arctan(diameter / distance).

In astronomy the size of objects in the sky are often measured in terms of their angular diameter as seen from Earth, rather than their actual size.

The angular diameter of Earth's orbit around the Sun, from a distance of one parsec, is two arcseconds.

This table shows the angular sizes of the most important Solar System bodies.

Sun 30'
Moon 29' - 33'
Venus 10" - 58"
Jupiter 32" - 49"
Saturn 16" - 20"
Mars 4" - 16"
Uranus 3" - 4"
Neptune 2"

Alpha Centauri A: ca. 0.01"

Last updated: 10-24-2004 05:10:45