HLX-1 size and scale context

HLX-1 is one of the strongest known candidates for an intermediate-mass black hole and lies off the plane of ESO 243-49. Hubble observations suggest it may be the stripped core of a cannibalized dwarf galaxy, leaving a midsize black hole with a small cluster of young stars around it. Read its scale context, comparisons, and journey links on the canonical object page.

IapetusTwo-toned icy moon·1,470 km

PlutoDwarf planet·2,380 km

MoonRocky moon·3,470 km

MercuryTerrestrial planet·4,879 km

MarsTerrestrial planet·6,779 km

EarthTerrestrial planet·12,742 km

NeptuneIce giant planet·49,528 km

HLX-1Intermediate-mass black hole candidate·118,000 km

JupiterGas giant planet·140,000 km

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Between the smallest and the largest, perspective is everything.

About

Scale of Space is a scroll-based journey through the universe, placing objects on a single logarithmic scale so you can compare size across an unbroken range.

Guides turn parts of that scale into curated essays, while focused views let you explore the same range through specific groups of objects.

Editorial

Solar System Planets From Electron to Atoms Stars To Scale Birth And Death Of Stars Black Holes To Scale

Views

Planets of the Solar System Stars of the Universe Black holes Subatomic scale

Open Scale of Space Browse all comparisons

Between the smallest and the largest, perspective is everything.

About

Scale of Space is a scroll-based journey through the universe, placing objects on a single logarithmic scale so you can compare size across an unbroken range.

Guides turn parts of that scale into curated essays, while focused views let you explore the same range through specific groups of objects.

Editorial

Solar System Planets From Electron to Atoms Stars To Scale Birth And Death Of Stars Black Holes To Scale

Views

Planets of the Solar System Stars of the Universe Black holes Subatomic scale

Open Scale of Space Browse all comparisons

Planets

Neptune

Neptune is the outermost giant planet in the Solar System. It is the windiest world known, with methane-cloud systems racing through its atmosphere at speeds above 2,000 kilometers per hour.

Scale fact49,528 kmdiameter

Object class: Ice giant planet
Mass: ~17 Earth masses
Host: Sun
Estimated age: ~4.5 billion years
Composition: Hydrogen, helium, water-ammonia-methane ices
Temperature: ~59 K cloud tops

Black holes

HLX-1

Scale fact118,000 kmevent horizon diameter

Object class: Intermediate-mass black hole candidate
Host: ESO 243-49
Mass: ~20,000 solar masses

Planets

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System. It is more massive than all the other planets combined and still spins once in only about 10 hours, giving the giant world the shortest day in the planetary family.

Scale fact140,000 kmdiameter

Object class: Gas giant planet
Mass: ~318 Earth masses
Host: Sun
Estimated age: ~4.5 billion years
Composition: Hydrogen and helium
Temperature: ~110 K cloud tops