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Maine Completes Largest To-Scale Solar System Model

Posted by timothy on from the can't-get-theayah-from-heayah dept.

Neophytus writes "The University of Maine has now almost completed its solar system model, to be unveiled officially on the June 14th at Westfield. The final planet, Uranus, will be set in place on the 13th. At forty miles from Pluto to The Sun and built to a scale of 1:93,000,000, it will be the largest three-dimensional scale model of the Solar System in North America."

17 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. Uh, I think God has them beat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    We're in the largest to scale model of the solar system.

  2. I hear.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I hear some of the hottest models are located there, too.

  3. And NASA Announced... by Quaoar · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...that it will be using this new scale model to test launch paths for future probes to other planets. A NASA engineering demonstrated by spreading out his arms and making airplane noises while running towards Mars.

    --
    I'll form my OWN solar system! With blackjack! And hookers!
    1. Re:And NASA Announced... by bad_fx · · Score: 5, Funny

      ...later, when he re-awoke after running face first into Mars, he grogily told reporters that "This new fangled metric system got me confused."

  4. Sun model by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Funny

    When they're done, they'll be mighty proud of themselves, so they'll light up a big BBQ at the center of the model, where the sun should be, and they'll grill models of invading alien motherships in the form of hamburger patties.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  5. Seems odd by Enraged_jawa · · Score: 5, Funny

    "That Earth is located at Percy's Auto Sales (1.0 mile from Sun)..."

    (Percy's must have pretty damn good air-conditioning)..

  6. Re:The world's largest model... by No.+24601 · · Score: 3, Funny

    You really gotta hand it to those Swedes for going all the way from design to reality.

  7. I think we .. by hygelic · · Score: 3, Funny

    can beat this if we all get together.

    I'm in Michigan -- I'll hang a basketball ("Jupiter") outside of my house.

    Now, we need someone in New York state to be "Saturn", and someone in Minnesota to be "Mars".

    Who's with me?

  8. I don't remember this... by writermike · · Score: 3, Funny

    Uranus, will be set in place on the 13th

    I don't recall agreeing to participate.

    --
    If Nalgene water bottles are outlawed, only outlaws will have Nalgene water bottles.
  9. Until they... by efuseekay · · Score: 4, Funny

    make a moving model, it's yet another grand exercise in scale conversations, road trips and beer :).

    --
    Mode (3) smart-aleck mode. Press * to return to main menu.
  10. Great... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    One more thing to add to my scale model of the state of Maine.

  11. Placing Neptune in a dangerous area! by reality-bytes · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, if you look at the picture mentioned with the guys in the back of the pickup, it is to be hoped that neptune is not being situated too far from the ecliptic.

    After all, have you noticed the dirty-great big power lines just above them??

    Also, if this is to scale, exactly how big are real solar power-lines?

    Its late, I'm drunk, I should put my sense of humor to sleep......

    --
    Ripping an new rectum in the fabric of spacetime.
  12. this is not a perfect model by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 3, Funny

    the curvature of the surface of earth is greater than that of space.

    --



    I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
  13. Re:*yawn* by Pooua · · Score: 3, Funny
    Obviously, Maine has a lot of issues, and feels inferior to Texas.

    If someone ever wants to build a 40-mile radius solar system that has room to orbit the planets, many Texans could loan out their back yards.

    --
    Taking stuff apart since 1969 (TM)
  14. take that earth by sstory · · Score: 4, Funny

    it would be really funny to paint your car up like a big rock and drive it at 7 mph (651,000,000 mph in scale) to simulate an asteroid collision at near light speed.

  15. This just in... by SVDave · · Score: 5, Funny

    A small black monolith has been spotted in the vicinity of the Jupiter model.

    Researchers at the University of Maine had no comment.

  16. And if you jog from the sun to the earth.. by starman97 · · Score: 3, Funny

    And it takes you 15 minutes, then you are walking
    at a scale speed of .5C
    If you run it in 8 minutes, then you would be exceeding the (scale) speed of light.

    Driving from the sun the Pluto in 1 hour would
    be an scale speed of 5C (Warp Factor 1.6?)

    --
    Starman97@Gmail.com (bring it on spammers)