The Incredible Two-Inch Universe: Step 2
421 views · Published 30 May 2008 · 3:53 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: Chandra X-ray Observatory · 2008 · Science & Technology
Note: Print out the instructions and cut-out templates (see http://chandra.harvard.edu/resources/podcasts/2inch/ for the printer-friendly PDFs). Now let's switch scales by shrinking the minivan-sized Sun down to a 2-inch diameter: Earth Size - A grain of salt, with a dust-speck Moon 1/2 inch away from it Sun-Earth Distance - 20 feet (5.5 m) - or 10 paces away Pluto's Orbit - 2.5 soccer fields away from the 2-inch Sun Nearest Star to Sun - 900 miles away (1500 km) Light Travel Time - It takes 8 minutes for a beam of light to travel from the Sun to the Earth.
