Scale Model of Solar System

Slashdot.com: "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."

This is cool. About two years ago I got a wild hair and decided that it
would be cool to measure and paint a scale model of the solar system on
the wall. When I did the measurements to fit a 32 foot wall I realized
that my planets would be smaller than pin heads... which wouldn't make
for a very good looking wall.

The model they've created in Maine is 40 miles long and when built to
scale the Earth fits in the palm of your hand. To scale, it's one mile
from the sun. Think about that the next time you're driving. Imagine a
baseball, set the odometer and drive for one mile.

Wow!