Building a Scale Model of the Solar System

Other than not having jobs and lots of time on their hands...why bother? An animation could do as well, IMHO.

Why bother? I guess to educate folks who need a solid model to look at. I wonder what percentage of the population has a mental picture of the solar system similar to the highly out-of-scale schoolroom models.

I don't think anyone can comprehend the immense distances involved anyway.

Seems like a waste of time to me.

A holographic model will be nice.

I saw this story a few days ago and was eager to see the final product. you notice I didn't post the story

I figured you didn't post it 'cause Pluto was missing?

no graphene either

That is an idea! Motorize the planets. I wonder how many months/years it would take for the outer planets to make one orbit around the Sun.

Of course you are also going to need flyovers for people to see the whole model; but, then, probably the planets would be too small to see; and, poor Pluto would be lost again.

Are they intending to include an accurate scaling of the size of the sun? If so, in order to make the planets large enough to see, I think they are going to need a larger desert; but, I haven't done the math.

Q: Where is Pluto? Isn't it STILL a part of our Solar System, too?

It has already been done. 15+ years ago.

http://northgeorgiaastronomers.org/scalemodel/

A true scale model of the solar system, including Pluto.

That looks more inviting than the Nevada desert!

On second thought, The Nevada desert is a whole lot more similar to empty space than treed city streets and parks, it is possible to see it all at once, and things can move. Now, as someone else pointed out, if they could only get the speeds somewhat proportional...

I love this idea. It is difficult for people to grasp the relative sizes and distances, especially when they/we have all seen the solar system depicted on one page. I wanted to make a scale model of a Hydrogen atom on my property with the nucleus made from two tennis balls. Turns out the electron is 100m away and is the size of the ball in the tip of a biro. Not much use!

Jim

Hydrogen atom with one ball or Hydrogen molecule with 2 balls ? I imagine the spacing of the electron but what would be the spacing of the 2 balls of the H2 neucleus ?

Yes, good pick up on the atom/molecule. I am not sure what i was thinking. One ball for the proton. Another thing that i was told was that the electron, as small as it is, covers the entire area of the shell in an incredibly short time.

Too long ago to remember the details. I just remember that making a scale model was pointless.

Jim

It might be nice to see, but would it be worth crossing that gray Nevada desert? I don't think so.

Sounds a brilliant scheme, if it includes the edge of the heliosphere. Worth reading this passage on the Burnham Model, which takes the Royal thumb (1") as 1AU. Take a guess at how far the nearest star is? 4.5 miles at this scale!

Just think of how marvellous or impossible it is that gravity can affect 2 scaled up specks of dust, each 1/100inch diam, four and a half miles apart, (1 mile =1 light year).