Q:
How long would it take a passenger plane to fly around the sun?
A:
Quick Answer
A passenger airplane, flying at 600 mph, could circle the sun in just over six months. According to Space.com, the sun is a nearly perfect sphere, and there is essentially no difference in circumference at its equator and the circumference from pole to pole.
Continue Reading
Credit:
Erik Simonsen
Photographer's Choice
Getty Images
Full Answer
According to Space.com, the sun has a diameter of 864,938 miles. Multiplying this by pi gives a circumference of 2,713,406 miles. If an airplane could survive near the 5,800 K photosphere of the sun, its trip around the sun at 600 mph would take 4,522.33 hours. Divided by 24, this amounts to 188 days, or 6.25 months.
Learn more about AstronomySources:
Related Questions
-
Q:
Why does the planet have day and night?
A: The Earth's rotation means that the sun is visible during certain times and blocked during other times. When the sun is visible, it is daytime; when it is ... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What does "full sun to part shade" mean?
A: "Full sun to part shade" is a designation for types of plants that tolerate up to six hours of sun each day, but need some shade, particularly in the after... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
Which famous astronomer observed Venus and Jupiter and supported Copernicus's theory of a heliocentric solar system?
A: Seventeenth-century astronomer Galileo Galilei is widely credited with convincing major church leaders and prominent scientists that the sun, not the Earth... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
When can you see Mars?
A: Mars and Earth both rotate around the sun, but at different speeds. Their location relative to each other is constantly changing, as demonstrated by simula... Full Answer >Filed Under:
