The Sweden Solar System
The Sweden Solar System (SSS) is the world's largest model of our planetary system. The Sun is represented by the Globe in Stockholm, the largest spherical building in the world, and the planets are lined up in direction north from here.
Note! To navigate within the pages for Sweden Solar System, use the links in this column.
Distances and sizes are scaled according to 1:20 million, and the inner planets are all in the Stockholm area. The outer planets follow in the same direction with for instance Neptune in Söderhamn and the dwarf planet Pluto in Delsbo, 300 km from the Globe. A number of minor planets and comets also populate SSS, which now extends from the very south to the very north of Sweden. There is a host institution for each model. SSS is a pedagogical instrument and conveys a direct feeling of the enormous distances in space, and how small the planets are compared to the Sun. Art, mythology and science merge in this project, and SSS connects many different places and different type of activities around Sweden. Nils Brenning, at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and Gösta Gahm, at the Stockholm University, started the project and coordinate new activities. For more information contact: gahm@astro.su.se
Models overview
Map and directions
News
Models
- Pluto/Charon
- Asteroid Eros
- Asteroid Saltis
- Asteroid 5025 PL
- Transneptunian Ixion
- Transneptunian Eris
- Transneptunian Sedna
- Halley's comet
- Swift-Tuttle's comet
- The Termination Shock
The Sun
Globen, Stockholm
Diameter: 71 m (solar disk) + the corona (the Sun's outer atmosphere)
The Globe Arena in Stockholm is the largest spherical building in the world, and it represents the Sun in the SSS.
Mercury
Stockholms stadsmuseum, Slussen
Diameter: 25 cm
Distance from Globen: 2,9 km
The model of Mercury is heated to symbolize its closeness to the Sun. Craters are depicted, and on the support structure various symbols are seen, like for the orbital drift in accordance with Einstein's theory of relativity.
Venus
Kungl. Tekniska Högskolan, Stockholm (also depicted at Observatoriemuseet, Stockholm)
Diameter: 62 cm
Distance from Globen: 5,5 km
The inauguration of Venus (model by Daniel Oberti, USA), took place during the Venus transit on June 8, 2004.
Earth/Moon
Cosmonova, Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, Stockholm
Diameter: 65 cm /18 cm
Distance from Globen: 7,6 km
The model of our planet Earth is at the entrance of the space theatre Cosmonova at the Natural History Museum, and is connected to a large screen, where satellite images of our planet are shown.
Mars
Mörby centrum
Diameter: 35 cm
Distance from Globen: 11,6 km
Mars is connected to a plate in steel symbolizing the Earth. Chemical symbols for common compounds on Mars can be found on the sphere.
Jupiter
Arlanda airport
Diameter: 7,3 m
Distance from Globen: 40 km
Jupiter was previously represented by an arrangement of flowers outside Sky City at Arlanda Airport. Plans for a new 3D model at another location are advancing.
Saturn
Uppsala
Diameter: 6,1 m
Distance from Globen: 73 km
The planet Saturn will eventually crown a school planetarium in Uppsala. However, a first step was taken in 2010 when an artistic model of the moon Titan was inaugurated in central Uppsala at the Celsius House, where the 18th century astronomer Anders Celsius worked. In addition, several Saturn moons have been given form by pupils in school classes in the area.
Uranus
New location close to Gävle
Diameter: 2,6 m
Distance from Globen: 146 km
A new model of Uranus will replace the old one, and on a new site.
Neptune
Söderhamn
Diameter: 2,5 m
Distance from Globen: 229 km
Neptune, symbolizing the god of the water and the sea, is located in the central park of Söderhamn, a cost town with long traditions of fishing and sailing. The model is lit from inside by blue light in the night.
Pluto
Delsbo
Diameter: 12 cm
Distance from Globen: 300 km
Pluto and Charon are supported by two tomb-like pillars reminding of the mythological meaning of Pluto (Hades), the god of the underworld. One can also be reminded of the meteorite impact that took place here 90 million years ago, when all life became extinct over a large area, and from which the Dellen lake system formed.
Pluto is not classified as a planet anymore. It is a dwarf planet.
Asteroid Eros
Mörbyskolan, Danderyd
Diameter: 2,0 mm x 0,7 mm x 0,7 mm
Distance from Globen: 11 km
Eros, the god of love, was inaugurated on a Valentine's day during a close encounter by a NASA space probe. The model, only 1.5 mm in size, was designed and exhibited as a school project.
Asteroid Saltis
Kunskapsskolan, Saltsjöbaden
Diameter: less than 1 mm
Distance from Globen: 17 km
A sculpture of an asteroid discovered by A. Brandeker in 2000 with a telescope at the Stockholm Observatory, now ”Kunskapsskolan”, was unveiled in 2010.. The object was named "Saltis", after the nickname of Saltsjöbaden.
Asteroid 5025 PL
Alsike, Knivsta
Diameter: 0,2 mm
Distance from Globen: 60 km
The asteroid Palomar-Leiden 5025 is a small dot on a relief describing SSS and placed in a park in Knivsta with "cosmic" sculptures by Eric Ståhl standing in front of the relief.
Ixion
Technichus, Härnösand
Diameter: 6,5 cm
Distance from Globen: 360 km
Ixion is one of the largest minor planets discovered by a team including Swedish scientists.
Eris
Umestans företagspark, hus 56, Umeå
Diameter: 13 cm
Distance from Globen: 510 km
The model of Eris, the goddess of conflict, reflects an ancient story when Eris initiated a big quarrel starting with a controversial inscription on a golden apple.
Sedna
Teknikens hus, Luleå
Distance from Globen: 912 km
The picture shows Arto Koskitalo standing at his sculpture of the minor planet Sedna during the inauguration in December 2005 at the science centre ”Teknikens Hus” located in Luleå in northern Sweden, not far from the arctic cirle. In arctic mythology, Sedna represented the ”goddess of the frozen sees” from where she supplied the eskimos with seals and whales. This minor planet is almost as large as Pluto and belongs to a distant swarm of minor planets called the Kuiper Belt
Halley's comet
Balthazar, Skövde
Diameter: several depictions
Distance from Globen: 260 km
Comet Halley was inaugurated on December 16, 2009 in the form of three outdoor models based on drawings made by school children, and one indoor model formed by laser in a block of glass.
Swift-Tuttle's comet
Kreativum, Karlshamn
Diameter: < 1 cm
Distance from Globen: 390 km
Swifft-Tuttle has an elongated orbit and in SSS the comet turns at this location in southern Sweden.
The termination shock
Institutet för rymdfysik, Kiruna
Diameter: -
Distance from Globen: 950 km
The distant interface between the solar wind and the surrounding galactic gas, the terminal shock, has been manifested in Kiruna. A future sculpture is envisioned to express this phenomenon reminiscent of aurorae frequently seen in northern Sweden.
Web editor:
Hannes Jensen
Last updated:
March 20, 2012
Source: Hannes Jensen
