GraphicsRow with labeled plots resizes plots?

Question

Here is a simple example:

a = Plot[x^2, {x, 0, 10}]

aa = Labeled[Plot[x^2, {x, 0, 10}], "a", Top]

GraphicsRow[{a, aa}]

Which gives the following image as an output:

The labeled plot is smaller than the unlabeled plot (and there is excess white space, but the white space can maybe be fixed by manually setting padding or something?)

How can I avoid this from happening?, (and maybe why does this happen?)

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A couple things I wish to note:

• I would prefer to stick with a solution that labels an existing plot and combines them, as opposed to adding labels to the plotting functions, if at all possible.
• I believe a similar issue happens if the GraphicsRow is formed from two labeled plots (they will be the same size, but "zoomed out".
• Maybe this is just a zoom/aspect ratio problem? Sorry if it is so easy and I just don't know how to do it.

Also, there are similar questions, so perhaps my question is a duplicate? For example, this and this. But those seem more about asking how to label a grid, whereas I want to know how to make this method here give the same size output, and also why this issue occurs. (Also, I don't quite understand the answers in those questions)

Answer 1

Use a label consisting of a spacer.

Clear["Global`*"]

a = Labeled[Plot[x^2, {x, 0, 10}], " ", Top];
aa = Labeled[Plot[x^2, {x, 0, 10}], "a", Top];
GraphicsRow[{a, aa}]

Alternatively,

a = Plot[x^2, {x, 0, 10}, PlotLabel -> " "];
aa = Plot[x^2, {x, 0, 10}, PlotLabel -> "a"];
GraphicsRow[{a, aa}]