The Solar System to scale

[vilakins]

Today's User Friendly link is to a very large scale model of the Solar System. It's 1:93,000,000 (so the Earth is 1 mile from the Sun) and measures 40 miles from the Sun to Pluto along Route 1 in Maine. Very, very cool. Click on each planet to see the models.

Today's comic strip is pretty good too. :-D

Comments

[azdak.livejournal.com]

The model of the solar system is fantastic. At the risk of sounding like a complete moron, I have to admit that I'd had no idea space was so, well, big.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Space is huge. Unless we develop an FTL drive (and it would have to be many, many times faster than light) or find out how to punch through hyperspace or use wormholes, we're stuck here. I don't even see how colonies in this system would be viable.

Sad, isn't it? But we can dream. That's why I like SF.

[azdak.livejournal.com]

I suppose in defence of my poor intellect I should say that I do know intellectually (pats left side of brain) that space is so vast we'd need FLT to get to other planets, it's just that when I looked at that picture of Jupiter about the size of a football, stuck on a little pole in the middle of rolling countryside, it brought it home to me viscerally in the way that no amount of "If the earth were an orange..." comparisons ever could. And Pluto made me laugh out loud.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I had the same reaction to Pluto! :-D

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Pluto is adorable :-)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Pluto should carry a 'not safe for children under the age of three as may be swallowed' warning.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

That's oddly satisfying, isn't it?

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It's wonderful!

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

That is extremely cool. :^)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It's a brilliant idea and really well executed!

[daiseechain.livejournal.com]

F*****g paper clip!

Gotta love User Friendly :D

[daiseechain.livejournal.com]

Also, I still can't wrap my head round the distances involved, but the difference in size for each of the planets and the sun is much clearer to me now.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

The distances are scary really. I think we're stuck here. :-( That's why I like SF: escapism in more than one way.