Solar System by apparent size

Solar System objects sorted by angular diameter (apparent diameter).  Objects with angular diameters greater than about 1 to ½ of an arcsecond and transiting satellites with angular diameters greater than about ½ to ¼ of an arcsecond can theoretically be resolved by amateur telescopes under ideal seeing conditions.

minimum angular diameters

0. 180°, Planet Terra
1. (31.477633133877767054679096275868 ± 0.0029551128269606612047486105298695)', Star Sol
2. (29.819303636472614445417667957098 ± 0.0096862578055441211945453588402752)', Terran Satellite Luna
3. (33.159669076755426476443372392270 ± 0.0089971814843987142886486730713841)", Planet Jupiter
4. (14.678686960924656270109313417449 ± 0.0049094002655546655235419837164275)", Planet Saturn
5. (13.344787507099331456628082902984 ± 0.0022051026964193540301592173017059)", Planet Venus
6. (6.0096928766403224966258023933195 ± 0.00068019592882980055537539875878304)", Planet Mercury
7. (4.7698865620477542663584032367593 ± 0.00014196624060303258751810475960605)", Planet Mars
8. (3.4223653325507628807299127059015 ± 0.0027408759060746596099586009009516)", Planet Uranus
9. (2.2118336467437559427103793771768 ± 0.0028217055150323473146748236149033)", Planet Neptune
10. (1.3083628992194648224762369447488 ± 0.00014901868607682720204612762319518)", Jovian Satellite Ganymede
11. (1.1973524061827979954954456275039 ± 0.00074514868136640627492683703515084)", Jovian Satellite Callisto
12. (0.90220478385668260139264206458912 ± 0.00074600044303443443093994586958067)", Jovian Satellite Io
13. (0.77505471560751979803462664785578 ± 0.00024828953386270602828053296700135)", Jovian Satellite Europa
14. (0.69779167912007910714815231706525 ± 0.000024814241932850107938927799477864)", Saturnian Satellite Titan

maximum angular diameters

0. 180°, Planet Terra
1. (34.142318167779726305388597288522 ± 0.0099504175490098189823746848993722)', Terran Satellite Luna
2. (32.549089711594099381629815789191 ± 0.0030383154609148420537653582447128)', Star Sol
3. (1.0905870349499817398048629211605 ± 0.00018025944492847952922209945619809)', Planet Venus
4. (50.115577292011611607058157849591 ± 0.00072639900116543009038607598428538)", Planet Jupiter
5. (25.700544451492779197449676308284 ± 0.00089158765308439455528175641371082)", Planet Mars
6. (20.710741843720512704721266748230 ± 0.0005166370410419963595958474095447)", Planet Saturn
7. (13.026519404358484128366613475607 ± 0.00068880719717083531267935096847384)", Planet Mercury
8. (4.0813037952907347294343994483903 ± 0.0006389298287894383982434815333879)", Planet Uranus
9. (2.3717005756662317185122893669135 ± 0.0023358462167698838697425224493574)", Planet Neptune
10. (1.8500081168516263639525877660944 ± 0.00021081697115976641880998036484687)", Jovian Satellite Ganymede
11. (1.6950999034452036167094676830048 ± 0.0010549338656223241325822742019151)", Jovian Satellite Callisto
12. (1.2758186006115165938918458891654 ± 0.000035409569728211189330416823094472)", Jovian Satellite Io
13. (1.0956010972639616311861538720115 ± 0.00035099902326891557679784173552623)", Jovian Satellite Europa
14. (0.92630435820787173323928340729414 ± 0.0059958010235239682526821091198236)", Minor Planet Ceres
15. (0.88573281563080150908143581596940 ± 0.00003509052596514345590963105473037)", Saturnian Satellite Titan
16. (0.75246410914813015641116728905938 ± 0.016972874643896973338196523745709)", Minor Planet Pallas
17. (0.69117155722191649628751546195186 ± 0.00012417891897229293892065704030910)", Minor Planet Vesta

• (0.26224700443933629069282618928564 ± 0.000017870938636195757578407958897337)", Saturnian Satellite Rhea
• (0.25714234397864741689302828177689 ± 0.000017891855224446917628298178731762)", Saturnian Satellite Iapetus

catalog

Number of Solar System objects by minimum angular diameter:

• 8 objects (1 star, 6 planets, and 1 moon) are always at least 4 arcseconds in angular diameter.
• 10 objects (1 star, 8 planets, and 1 moon) are always at least 2 arcseconds in angular diameter.
• 12 objects (1 star, 8 planets, and 3 moons) are always at least 1 arcsecond in angular diameter.
• 15 objects (1 star, 8 planets, and 6 moons) are always at least 0.5 arcseconds in angular diameter.

Number of Solar System objects by maximum angular diameter:

• 9 objects (1 star, 7 planets, and 1 moon) can be at least 4 arcseconds in angular diameter.
• 10 objects (1 star, 8 planets, and 1 moon) can be at least 2 arcseconds in angular diameter.
• 14 objects (1 star, 8 planets, and 5 moons) can be at least 1 arcsecond in angular diameter.
• 18 objects (1 star, 8 major planets, 3 minor planets, and 6 moons) can be at least 0.5 arcseconds in angular diameter.

notes

Minimum angular diameter is calculated using the polar radius and a theoretical maximum observable distance.  Maximum observable distance is simplified here as when there is a right angle between Sol (or the host planet for satellites of superior planets), the object, and the observer.  Otherwise the maximum distance between the object and observer is when the object is behind Sol (or the host planet for satellites of superior planets) and thus invisible (occulted).

Maximum angular diameter for inferior planets and satellites of superior planets is when those objects are in transit.  Maximum resolvable angular diameter for triaxial ellipsoids is calculated using the second equatorial radius.

see also

• Solar System by size
• Solar System data