Scale Model Solar System, IYA2009 event in Kendal |
Scale Model Solar System, IYA2009 event in Kendal |
Oct 10 2009, 03:26 PM
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
We (that's the Eddington Astronomical Society) held our "Scale Model of the Solar System" event here in Kendal today, and I'm happy to report that it was a FANTASTIC success. We think more than 200 people toured our scaled version of the solar system at Kendal Castle, including some very excited kids. Huge thanks to Doug for making all the model planets and a gazillion info sheets, postcards and other bits and pieces for us, and for travelling up from UMSF HQ to help with the event itself today, too. I don't think we could have done it without him, TBH.
Full write up on my blog tomorrow, in the meantime you can find a few pics on my twitpic gallery, here: http://twitpic.com/photos/mars_stu -------------------- |
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Oct 11 2009, 06:39 PM
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
Full write-up here: http://ksssm.wordpress.com/well-how-did-it-go Thanks again to Doug for making it work! :-)
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Oct 16 2009, 07:10 AM
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#3
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
Good pic of Doug... not so good of me... but great coverage in Westmorland Gazette of our event!
http://twitpic.com/lpkwn Already looking forward to next year! -------------------- |
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Oct 16 2009, 09:11 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 593 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 279 |
Next year ...
Stu, just a thought: I've always seen people surprised at how far away the Moon is, when related to scaled models of both the Earth and Moon. Might it be worth introducing people to the moons of the Solar System, to a common scale? Take a trip to the Moon! Explore the Jovian Big Four! Visit Titan! Andy |
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Oct 16 2009, 09:31 AM
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#5
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
I've been thinking along those lines Andy, yeah... maybe, at certain points along the route, have separate models showing things like that. An Earth-Moon system would be a natural.
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Oct 16 2009, 10:52 AM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
If you're planning a repeat event at the same scale I will try to bring along a laminated set of the 10 sheets of my A4 paper model. As well as the planets at their 'true' sizes they also show the larger moons at their correct distances. People are often surprised that with the whole model filling the castle grounds (or equivalent) all the major moons are near enough their primaries to fit on the same sheet of paper. (Of course you're welcome to use them even if I don't make it.)
Being a Cassini fan I'd love to see a big scale walkaround model of the Saturn system, extending outward to the 'comet' Phoebe. If that were done on a hill you could even approximate the true orbital inclinations of the moons, with the most distant ones having more open views of the rings. |
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Oct 16 2009, 11:01 AM
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14432 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
We actually had, at the 1:10,000,000,000 scale - on the info sheets, the Earth and Moon, Saturn + Titan, and Jup + Galileans at the scale sizes and distances.
I was going to take my 40cm earth and 10cm moon that I can place 12m apart for scale - but I was worried that the scales would be confusing for the general public, and my experience on the day actual confirmed those worries and I'm glad I didn't take them. People were looking at the images on the info sheets (which were, 50x, 100x, 10x scale size) and thinking THAT was the scale, several times I had to correct people and show them the actual scale on top of the black cane. A scale Saturnian system would be brilliant - but having two different scales at the same venue would, for the general public, be confusing. |
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Oct 16 2009, 12:16 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
A scale Saturnian system would be brilliant (I agree, though, not at the same event as a solar system model) 10**8 scale would put Phoebe at 130m distance with a diameter of 2mm. Big flat rings 2.8 metres diameter would not be too hard to make but finding a 1.2 metre oblate spheroid might be challenging. 2010 would be a good year to do it - 400 years after Galileo noticed that Saturn has funny things on either side. |
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Oct 16 2009, 12:21 PM
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
What we'll be doing next year is having the same model as this year, laid out along a riverside path - better access for disabled people, and also good to have a logival, set "start" that can be accurately signposted - and at the end, after Pluto, there'll be a collection of models, ideally including an Earth-Moon model, a "Galilean moons" model and a couple of others. This way the thing won't just peter out in an "Oh, is this the end?" way, and also the people exiled to the end of the line to represent Pluto won't feel so out of it if they have company. :-)
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Oct 28 2009, 04:02 AM
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 3108 Joined: 21-December 05 From: Canberra, Australia Member No.: 615 |
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Oct 28 2009, 04:34 AM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Dunno where that came from, Astro0, but it is WAY cool!
-------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Oct 28 2009, 05:29 AM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1582 Joined: 14-October 05 From: Vermont Member No.: 530 |
It's from national geographic.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/map/map-day/2008/10/28 Blogged at Bad Astronomy: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastro...of-space-trips/ |
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Oct 28 2009, 05:33 AM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1582 Joined: 14-October 05 From: Vermont Member No.: 530 |
This thread being bumped reminds me also of this-- for when the Sun doesn't make you feel small enough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8BncJ7XMLk |
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Oct 28 2009, 07:24 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
Fabulous way to depict the activity of our curious species - a few little errors, but very very cool!
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Oct 28 2009, 08:49 AM
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 3108 Joined: 21-December 05 From: Canberra, Australia Member No.: 615 |
Thanks stevesliva....I knew someone here would know the answer.
Art by Sean McNaughton, National Geographic Staff, Samuel Valasco, 5W Infographics Sources: NASA; Chris Gamble. Sun, asteroid and comet images: NASA/JPL jasedm...what are the errors? don't leave us in the dark! |
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