The Solar System Walk is back on the boardwalk!
The Solar System Walk is a scaled representation of our solar system where 1 inch is equivalent to 100,000 miles. Poster Boards with fun facts representing each planet (including Pluto-a dwarf planet) and other astronomical facts are placed at the appropriate scaled distance from the sun. At this scale the sun is the size of a soccer ball (about 8-1/2 inches) and the earth is the size of a peppercorn (about 3/16 of an inch). The 93 million miles from the earth to the sun is reduced to just 73 feet.
The self-guided tour starts at the “Sun” on the boardwalk behind the Ventnor Community Center between New Haven and Newport Ave. and heads towards Atlantic City, ending with Pluto at Oxford Ave. (Yay Pluto!) Boardwalk strollers can walk the 3.6 billion miles from the Sun to Pluto in just a half-mile and can read about all the planets and other interesting facts along the way. Posters are QR coded to NASA websites for those in search of more information.
Along the way, signs with fun facts representing each planet (including Pluto) are placed at the appropriate scaled distance from the sun.
Descriptive boards about the planets are spaced in proportion on a 1-inch = 100,000 mile scale. Posters are QR coded to NASA websites for those in search of more information.
Mars and the Mars Perseverance Rover posters.
Earth in relation to the size of the sun.
The sun is 865,000 miles in diameter. At a scale of 1 inch equaling 100,000 miles, the sun will be slightly more than 8-1/2 inches in diameter.
The size ratio of the planets are Mercury- a pinhead, Venus-a peppercorn, Earth- a peppercorn, Mars- a pinhead, Jupiter-a chestnut, Saturn-an acorn, Uranus- a coffee bean, Neptune- a coffee bean, Pluto- smaller then a pinhead.
The scale as laid out along the boardwalk will give boardwalk strollers an idea of how immense space really is and how far apart the planets really are from the sun and to each other. Between planets, we have added information about the Solstice, Comets, Exoplanets, Black Holes and more.
The planets are laid out to scale along the Ventnor Boardwalk. Notice the distance between planets increases as they get farther from the sun.
Steve & Michelle prepping the “Sun” for installation
Jasiecki thought the boardwalk, with its clear line of sight would be a great spot for the project where people can envision the solar system while taking a leisurely stroll. He reached out to his friend Michelle (a local photographer), who along with being a NASA Solar System Ambassador is a S.T.E.M. Director with the Egg Harbor Township Police Activities League (EHT PAL). Michelle liked the idea and saw how well it ties in with her S.T.E.M. projects.
“It’s hard to wrap your head around the scope of the solar system”, Riordan said. “Textbook versions are mere representations of the planets and can be misleading”. “The Solar System Walk allows people, especially kids, to better visualize just how far the planets are in relation to size and distance from one another. This will help people have a better understanding of just how big the solar system is.
It is sponsored by Signarama Egg Harbor Township & the Atlantic County Toys for Kids Program
For further information about the Solar System Walk or to schedule an activity, contact Michelle Riordan at: michelle.stella.394@gmail.com
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