What is the Difference Between Sun and Moon?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The Sun and Moon are two prominent celestial objects in the sky, but they have several differences and similarities in terms of their composition, size, and effects on Earth.
Differences between the Sun and Moon include:
- Composition: The Sun is made up of hot clouds of gases, while the Moon is composed of rocks and dirt. The Sun is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, while the Moon's surface is made of rocks and dirt.
- Size: The Sun is much larger than the Moon, with a diameter of 1.4 million km, while the Moon's diameter is only 3,474 km. However, the Sun is 400 times further away from Earth than the Moon, causing them to appear almost the same size in the sky.
- Orbit: The Moon revolves around Earth, while Earth and the Sun revolve around their own axes. The Earth takes approximately 365 days to complete one revolution around the Sun. The Moon takes 27.3 days to fully rotate around the Earth.
- Light Emission: The Sun emits its own light, while the Moon reflects the light of the Sun.
Similarities between the Sun and Moon include:
- Inability to Sustain Life: Neither the Sun nor the Moon can sustain life as they don't have the necessary elements for life.
- Spherical Shape: The Sun, Earth, and Moon are somewhat spherical in shape.
- Galaxy: The Sun, Moon, and Earth are all situated in the same galaxy.
Comparative Table: Sun vs Moon
Here is a table comparing the differences between the Sun and Moon:
Feature | Sun | Moon |
---|---|---|
Description | A star, primarily made up of hot gases | A natural satellite, made of rocks and dirt |
Size | Much larger than the Moon | Smaller than the Sun, about 1/4 the size of Earth |
Light Emission | Emits its own light | Reflects sunlight |
Heat | Much hotter than the Moon | Colder than the Sun |
Habitability | Does not sustain life | Does not sustain life |
Orbit | Earth orbits around the Sun | Revolves around the Earth |
Rotation | Rotates on its axis in about 25 days | Takes 27.3 days to fully rotate |
Formation | Formed from solar nebula | Likely created from a large planet collision with Earth |
Please note that the information in this table is based on the search results provided.
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