I have previously wandered along the scale model of the solar system on the St Kilda beach in Melbourne. Yesterday I did the same with the scale model in Bonn. In both cases I only got as far as Uranus.
It was interesting along the way to verify Kepler's relationship between the orbital period and the distance. Saturn takes about 30 years to go around, and is about 30^(2/3) ~ 10 times the distance. Jupiter takes about 12 years to go around and is about 12^(2/3) ~ 5.2 the distance.
Standing by the plinth with the Earth and the Moon, looking back at the Sun, then forward to Mars, and not being able to see Jupiter really does give a true sense of the scale.
Not to diminish this effort, but getting out and walking the distances make a difference.
When I was a kid I wanted to make such a scale model. I think I calculated sizes with Earth = 1 inch, and the distances made the mind boggle. Using a pixel as a unit of measure was pure genius, it makes the model so much more manageable without detracting from the overall grand scale.
It was interesting along the way to verify Kepler's relationship between the orbital period and the distance. Saturn takes about 30 years to go around, and is about 30^(2/3) ~ 10 times the distance. Jupiter takes about 12 years to go around and is about 12^(2/3) ~ 5.2 the distance.
Standing by the plinth with the Earth and the Moon, looking back at the Sun, then forward to Mars, and not being able to see Jupiter really does give a true sense of the scale.
Not to diminish this effort, but getting out and walking the distances make a difference.