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That is a fantastic visualization to get a feeling of the scales involved. It reminds me a lot of the "planet trail" next to Zurich, Switzerland, a trail with

That is a fantastic visualization to get a feeling of the scales involved. It reminds me a lot of the "planet trail" next to Zurich, Switzerland, a trail with scale models of the sun and the planets [1]. The sun is about 1m in diameter. The earth is about 1cm in diameter, 100 or 200m away. Pluto is more than 3km down the path. Walking down that trail was the first time I realized how empty the solar system really is, and how far the giant planets really are. I highly recommend it to anyone having the opportunity, particularly with children. It gives you the same feeling of emptiness, with views of the Alps. [1] https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/sport/planet-trail https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/sport/planet-trail

whatusername 7y ago
Here's the Melbourne Australia version: http://stkildamelbourne.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Solar_System_Self_Guided_Trail_web_friendly.pdf http://stkildamelbourne.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/So... I'd prefer a view of the Alps - but a view of the beach isn't too bad.
everdev 7y ago
Here's a video of something similar where they constructed a scale model of the universe in the desert: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4524AAZdE https://youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4524AAZdE
black_puppydog 7y ago
Sweden packed the inner four planets into Stockholm, with Pluto ending up 300km away. :) The newer dwarf planets and the depiction of the termination shock however let the model expand all the way up to Kiruna. https://twistedsifter.com/2014/10/the-sweden-solar-system-scale-model/ https://twistedsifter.com/2014/10/the-sweden-solar-system-sc...
- lukego 7y ago
  That's really cool! I recently stumbled on that installations Halley's Comet here in Skövde :)
- owl57 7y ago
  Planet Nine would be an interesting addition here.
_Microft 7y ago
There is also a land art installation at the scale of 1:200,000,000 in Norway: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Lofoten https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Lofoten
- ithkuil 7y ago
  Also there is a 1:680 000 000 one in Zagreb, Croatia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Views https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Views
pflenker 7y ago
I was about to write how there is also a planet trail in Göttingen, Germany - but it turns out that there are a LOT of these trails scattered throughout Germany (List in German only [1]) Back in my youth I did not follow this trail actively, but I found it mind-boggling just how far apart from one another I would stumble over one of the planets. [1] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetenweg#Deutschland https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetenweg#Deutschland
nixy 7y ago
The world's largest scale model of the solar system is in Sweden and stretches along most of the country: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden_Solar_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden_Solar_System
- mstade 7y ago
  I live in Stockholm (close to the sun!) and never knew any of this – thank you so much for sharing, this is awesome!
rob74 7y ago
There's also one in Munich, starting at the Deutsches Museum and ending at the Zoo (~ 5 km): https://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/exhibitions/natural-sciences/astronomy/inter-planetary-walk/from-the-sun-in-the-map-of-the-inter-planetary-walk/ https://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/exhibitions/natural-scien...
arachnophobe 7y ago
Yet another one - on a smaller scale on the sea front in Ventnor - Isle of Wight, UK: http://stokeywalk.blogspot.com/2015/12/launching-solar-system-walk.html http://stokeywalk.blogspot.com/2015/12/launching-solar-syste...
gadders 7y ago
There is the Otford Solar System in Kent, England which claims to be the largest in the world: http://www.solarsystem.otford.info/ http://www.solarsystem.otford.info/
Nannooskeeska 7y ago
There's one of these in Eau Claire, WI, where I went to college [0]. I used to live across the bike trail from the sun, so I made the walk several times. Always blew my mind. [0] https://www.visiteauclaire.com/listing/eau-claire-planet-walk/2143/ https://www.visiteauclaire.com/listing/eau-claire-planet-wal...
opminion 7y ago
There's 10 Km one between York (England) and Selby, a cycle path. I had a tyre puncture near Pluto...
vihren 7y ago
Just to add to the cacophony, there is one between Gif-sur-Yvette and Bures-sur-Yvette, Paris area. Its a nice walk for anyone close to the Paris-Saclay research center.
daveslash 7y ago
There's a 40 mile (64 km) model in rural Maine (Route 1 in Aroostook County). The webpage claims it is the largest in the world (obviously not true, at least not as of today). The webpage is also delightfully early-90s-esque. http://pages.umpi.edu/nmms/solar/ http://pages.umpi.edu/nmms/solar/ Edit: There's a youtube video where some guys made a revolving (but temporary) to-scale model in the desert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4524AAZdE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4524AAZdE
minikites 7y ago
There's one in Ithaca, NY too: http://www.sciencenter.org/sagan-walk.html http://www.sciencenter.org/sagan-walk.html
limbicsystem 7y ago
York reporting in: https://www.york.ac.uk/solar/ https://www.york.ac.uk/solar/

whatusername 7y ago

Here's the Melbourne Australia version: http://stkildamelbourne.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Solar_System_Self_Guided_Trail_web_friendly.pdf http://stkildamelbourne.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/So... I'd prefer a view of the Alps - but a view of the beach isn't too bad.

everdev 7y ago

Here's a video of something similar where they constructed a scale model of the universe in the desert: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4524AAZdE https://youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4524AAZdE

black_puppydog 7y ago

Sweden packed the inner four planets into Stockholm, with Pluto ending up 300km away. :) The newer dwarf planets and the depiction of the termination shock however let the model expand all the way up to Kiruna. https://twistedsifter.com/2014/10/the-sweden-solar-system-scale-model/ https://twistedsifter.com/2014/10/the-sweden-solar-system-sc...

lukego 7y ago
That's really cool! I recently stumbled on that installations Halley's Comet here in Skövde :)
owl57 7y ago
Planet Nine would be an interesting addition here.

_Microft 7y ago

There is also a land art installation at the scale of 1:200,000,000 in Norway: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Lofoten https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Lofoten

ithkuil 7y ago
Also there is a 1:680 000 000 one in Zagreb, Croatia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Views https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Views

pflenker 7y ago

I was about to write how there is also a planet trail in Göttingen, Germany - but it turns out that there are a LOT of these trails scattered throughout Germany (List in German only [1]) Back in my youth I did not follow this trail actively, but I found it mind-boggling just how far apart from one another I would stumble over one of the planets. [1] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetenweg#Deutschland https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetenweg#Deutschland

nixy 7y ago

The world's largest scale model of the solar system is in Sweden and stretches along most of the country: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden_Solar_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden_Solar_System

mstade 7y ago
I live in Stockholm (close to the sun!) and never knew any of this – thank you so much for sharing, this is awesome!

rob74 7y ago

There's also one in Munich, starting at the Deutsches Museum and ending at the Zoo (~ 5 km): https://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/exhibitions/natural-sciences/astronomy/inter-planetary-walk/from-the-sun-in-the-map-of-the-inter-planetary-walk/ https://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/exhibitions/natural-scien...

arachnophobe 7y ago

Yet another one - on a smaller scale on the sea front in Ventnor - Isle of Wight, UK: http://stokeywalk.blogspot.com/2015/12/launching-solar-system-walk.html http://stokeywalk.blogspot.com/2015/12/launching-solar-syste...

gadders 7y ago

There is the Otford Solar System in Kent, England which claims to be the largest in the world: http://www.solarsystem.otford.info/ http://www.solarsystem.otford.info/

Nannooskeeska 7y ago

There's one of these in Eau Claire, WI, where I went to college [0]. I used to live across the bike trail from the sun, so I made the walk several times. Always blew my mind. [0] https://www.visiteauclaire.com/listing/eau-claire-planet-walk/2143/ https://www.visiteauclaire.com/listing/eau-claire-planet-wal...

opminion 7y ago

There's 10 Km one between York (England) and Selby, a cycle path. I had a tyre puncture near Pluto...

vihren 7y ago

Just to add to the cacophony, there is one between Gif-sur-Yvette and Bures-sur-Yvette, Paris area. Its a nice walk for anyone close to the Paris-Saclay research center.

daveslash 7y ago

There's a 40 mile (64 km) model in rural Maine (Route 1 in Aroostook County). The webpage claims it is the largest in the world (obviously not true, at least not as of today). The webpage is also delightfully early-90s-esque. http://pages.umpi.edu/nmms/solar/ http://pages.umpi.edu/nmms/solar/ Edit: There's a youtube video where some guys made a revolving (but temporary) to-scale model in the desert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4524AAZdE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4524AAZdE

minikites 7y ago

There's one in Ithaca, NY too: http://www.sciencenter.org/sagan-walk.html http://www.sciencenter.org/sagan-walk.html

limbicsystem 7y ago

York reporting in: https://www.york.ac.uk/solar/ https://www.york.ac.uk/solar/