How Long Would It Take a Passenger Plane to Fly Around the Sun?
Last Updated Apr 7, 2020 2:02:48 PM ET
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.
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.
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