# How big does Jupiter look from the surface of Io? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 5, 2008, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898 "2008-08-05T09:18:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/21 "2008-08-06T11:10:38Z")
[QUOTE=Saint Cad] Saturn from Mimas? [/QUOTE] My thumb-and-forefinger astrocalipers say Mars over Phobos still beats it out, but it’s close. Unless you’re including the rings. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/22 "2008-08-06T13:57:04Z")
[QUOTE=Meurglys] Or you can use the [NASA Solar System Simulator](http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/) for a visual representation… [/QUOTE] Well, I hope you’re happy. I can see this is going to cost me pretty much an entire day’s worth of productivity. RR ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/23 "2008-08-06T15:37:01Z")
Well, it’s wasted plenty of my time… thought I’d allow others to do the same! ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/24 "2008-08-06T15:44:02Z")
[QUOTE=RiverRunner] Well, I hope you’re happy. I can see this is going to cost me pretty much an entire day’s worth of productivity. RR [/QUOTE] Well then we’d better not show you [Celestia](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/gallery.html). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/25 "2008-08-06T16:59:44Z")
[QUOTE=Grey] Well then we’d better not show you [Celestia](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/gallery.html). 😃 [/QUOTE] I clicked on it. Heaven help me, I clicked on it. And [this](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/images/gallery/phobos-mars.jpg) is a remarkable picture. So is [this](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/images/gallery/asteroidorb.jpg) If I get fired, it’s all your fault. RR ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/26 "2008-08-06T18:15:40Z")
[QUOTE=RiverRunner] I clicked on it. Heaven help me, I clicked on it. And [this](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/images/gallery/phobos-mars.jpg) is a remarkable picture. So is [this](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/images/gallery/asteroidorb.jpg) If I get fired, it’s all your fault. RR [/QUOTE] It was for a good cause. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/27 "2008-08-06T19:08:41Z")
[QUOTE=Grey] Well then we’d better not show you [Celestia](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/gallery.html). 😃 [/QUOTE] Beat me to it. I’ve wasted many an hour touring around Celestia. Totally cool. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/28 "2008-08-06T19:17:56Z")
That is by far one of the coolest websites I’ve ever seen, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/29 "2008-08-07T03:04:08Z")
[QUOTE=Meurglys] Or you can use the [NASA Solar System Simulator](http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/) for a visual representation… [/QUOTE] Dang, **Meurglys** , that’s an awesome link… Thanks for posting that! _looses too much time_ ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/30 "2008-08-07T05:17:52Z")
I went to the NASA Simulator and asked for the Sun as seen from Mercury… but the result seems to show the Sun looking either pretty much the same size as it looks from Earth, or even a little smaller. I was expecting it would look larger than it does from here. Have I misunderstood something? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/31 "2008-08-07T05:51:16Z")
The problem is there’s nothing else to really give a sense of scale for the field of view. But if you use the simulator to give a view of the Sun from Earth, with the same field of view, it’ll be noticably smaller. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/32 "2008-08-07T13:17:20Z")
I think if we say Jupiter spans about 20[sup]o[/sup] you can imagine what that means by stretching your arm out in front of yourself and spreading your fingers. A spread hand covers about 15-20 degrees of sky. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/33 "2008-08-07T14:04:47Z")
[QUOTE=Grey] It was for a good cause. 🙂 [/QUOTE] That was either genius or the best unintentional double entendre ever. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898/34 "2008-08-07T15:16:42Z")
I don’t know why Jupiter from Io would be the primary Jovian contender. It’s not the innermost moon, just the innermost of the really huge Galilean moons. Both Amalthea and Metis are closer to Jupiter. [Hello Jupiter](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Metis.JPG/800px-Metis.JPG) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-big-does-jupiter-look-from-the-surface-of-io/458898.md?page=1)