2006-09-11 07:43:13 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The planets are tiny little pindots compared to the vast distances between them. Our solar system is an average-size sun with specks swirling around it at vast distances from each other and the sun.
2006-09-11 07:53:09 · answer #1 · answered by urbancoyote 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Very small.
One of my favourite demonstrations of the distance between the planets in this solar system, was on an episode of "Bill Nye the Science Guy". He set up a "full sized" model along some road, using a marble for the Earth, and a mustard seed as Mercury. Then he pedalled his bicycle along this road, from the Sun the the far planets. The ride was kilometres and kilometres. Such a distance that Bill Nye was huffing and puffing; then fell off his bike from overexertion. He was okay though.
2006-09-11 18:39:40 · answer #2 · answered by V. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Really you only have to look at Mars and Venus. They are our nearest planets, but neither of them show any appreciable size to the naked eye, even when at their closest.
You can see something of the disk of Venus with a good pair binoculars, but Mars needs a telescope to see its shape (which must be a great shock to all those gullible people who thought they were going to see it big as the Moon on Aug 27).
Yes, to have a model of the Solar System that has the proper proportions, you would need a rather large building. Perhaps if you cleared all the intervening walls in the Pentagon you could do it without having to reduce the planets to dust size.
It's an empty place out there, folks, especially when you consider that the next nearest star system is nearly 10,000 times as far away as Neptune (which is now our farthest planet).
2006-09-11 16:23:04 · answer #3 · answered by nick s 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This makes very little sense to me but from what I know the size of the planets and the distance between them have little in common and do not effect each other.
2006-09-11 14:47:35 · answer #4 · answered by T F 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tiny, almost infinitessimal. The actual ratio is dependent on the planet, of course. But as an example...
If a beam of light could follow a curved path around the Earth, it would take about 1/8th of a second (Earth's circumference being roughly 24,000 miles and the speed of light being 186,000 miles per second) On the other hand, it takes light about eight minutes to reach us from our sun. And something over 4 years for it to get here from the nearest star (Alpha Centauri).
Which makes you and me pretty small indeed.
2006-09-11 14:52:16 · answer #5 · answered by r_moulton76 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Small, but it is still comparable.
Let's talk about orbit radius since the distance between planets varies constantly.
The Earth orbits at about 150 million km from the Sun, and its diameter is 12800 km, 11719 times smaller.
The diameter of Jupiter is about 143000 km and is about 4900 billions kilometers from the Sun, the ratio is more than 34 millions this time!
The Sun diameter is about 1.4 million kilometers, a little less than 1% of the Earth orbit (it is quite surprising that it is so large, but when we look at the Sun from the Earth it is quite a wide object), and 3500000 time smaller than Jupiter's orbit.
2006-09-11 15:26:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Usually the distance between the planets are higher for larger massive planets.
Mercury, venus, earth and mars are closer to each other compared to jupiter, saturn etc. to each ther.
2006-09-11 14:56:15 · answer #7 · answered by Dr M 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if the sun was a beach ball and pluto (ok i know not a planet) was a pin head the solar system would be like a mile long
2006-09-11 14:49:38 · answer #8 · answered by saimhain 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Compared to the distances, they are like motes of dust.
2006-09-11 14:46:09 · answer #9 · answered by Search first before you ask it 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋