The Solar System, Scottish style
22 Oct 2009, 09:51 UTC
QUESTION: Where should you go to learn about the Solar System?
ANSWER: Scotland, of course.
I wonder what Dr. Martin A. Hendry, from the University of Glasgow’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has to say.
“Hi Lee,
I’m mailing to let you know about a series of events we have coming up in
Scotland to mark IYA2009, entitled the Scottish Solar System.
These events are being coordinated by Glasgow University and Glasgow
Science Centre and are being run by Astronomy Societies around the
country. With the Science Centre representing the Sun, the events will
take place at locations that match pretty well to the scaled distances of
the major planets in the solar system (with a few asteroids thrown in for
good measure). Moreover, on the same scale the main building of GSC is
the correct size to be the Sun, and we will have correctly-scaled objects
or buildings representing the planets and asteroids at the other
locations.
We reckon this will make us the largest scale model of the solar system
ever (although to be fair the similar “Swedish Solar System” model did
include Pluto as well!)”
Events began in Inverness (a.k.a. Saturn) on Saturday 17 October. BBC News ...