An overview of the Chandra mission and goals, Chandra's namesake, top 10 facts.
Classroom activities, printable materials, interactive games & more.
Overview of X-ray Astronomy and X-ray sources: black holes to galaxy clusters.
All Chandra images released to the public listed by date & by category
Current Chandra press releases, status reports, interviews & biographies.
A collection of multimedia, illustrations & animations, a glossary, FAQ & more.
A collection of illustrations, animations and video.
Chandra discoveries in an audio/video format.
Video Podcasts: The Incredible Two-Inch Universe

Step 2: The Realm of Our Sun the Only Star in Our Solar System

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Now let's switch scales by shrinking the minivan-sized Sun down to a 2-inch diameter:
  • Earth Size - A grain of salt, with a dust-speck Moon 1/2 inch away from it
  • Sun-Earth Distance - 20 feet (5.5 m) - or 10 paces away
  • Pluto's Orbit - 2.5 soccer fields away from the 2-inch Sun
  • Nearest Star to Sun - 900 miles away (1500 km)
  • Light Travel Time - It takes 8 minutes for a beam of light to travel from the Sun to the Earth.
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