Question

Listed following are several astronomical objects. Rank these objects based on their diameter, from largest to smallest. (Note that the neutron star and black hole in this example have the same mass to make your comparison easier, but we generally expect black holes to have greater masses than neutron stars.)

A typical (one-solar-mass) white dwarf star is approximately the same size (diameter) as _____.
a. the sun
b. earth
c. saturn
d. pluto
e. a small asteroid

Answer 1

• The Earth

Step-by-step explanation:

A white dwarf star typically has a diameter similar to the of the Earth, which is an order of magnitude smaller than the diameter of the Sun.

The listed objects from largest to smallest would be:

• The Sun
• Saturn
• Earth
• Pluto
• a small asteroid

The Sun is a main sequence star. Saturn is a gas giant with an extensive system of rings and moons. Earth is a rocky planet. Pluto is a dwarf planet. A small asteroid is a remnant of the materials leftover from solar system formation that did not coalesce to form planets.