Worlds Largest Scale Model Solar System?

Richard_at_work writes "As the BBC is reporting, the UK is to attempt to create the worlds largest scale model of the solar system ever attempted. At a scale of 1:15million, this brings the distance between the Sun (positioned in Cheshire at the Jodrell Bank Telescope site) and the Earth to 15km or 10 miles, although you will need to travel the entire length of the UK to visit all of the planets. Interesting to note is the distinct lack of a 10th planet :) As well as the 9 planets and the sun, also shown on the model will be Halleys Comet and several asteroids. Would have been great if they had included probes such as Voyager 1." Maybe this claimant for world's largest solar system model will have to expand to keep up.

Comments

Re:Great for distance comparison, but thats it!

[n0mad6]

I agree, but in that sense, having a model that really gives you the sense of scale that the solar system is provides for a great educational tool. Hearing the number 93 million miles (150 million km) doesn't really instill a sense of scale since we on Earth don't really have things we can relate that kind of distance to.

Of course, on the scale of this model, the closest star (other than the Sun) to us, Proxima Centurai, would be located four times the distance to the Moon.

Re:Great for distance comparison, but thats it!

[pholower]

What really fumes me about this project is that it will have the planets as artistic inspirations. I want to see how big the damn red storm on Jupiter is, of course, I guess they wouldn't be that acurate. But hell, at least make it as acurate, not an art exhibit.