Otford Solar System

One of the largest scale models in the world!  One of the reasons for building the Solar System was to show just how big space is. If you walk as far as Pluto and look back towards the recreation ground, you get a sense of the vastness of space.

The centre of the Solar System is at the North-East corners of the High Street Recreation Ground.

The scale of this model is 1:4,595,700,000 (ie 1mm = 4,595.7km). The Sun is represented by a 303mm diameter dome and each planet by a scale engraving on a flat disc. On this scale, the nearest star is 8,844km away, near Los Angeles USA! And if you were to cross the Milky Way, our local galaxy, you would have to stay on board the jet for twenty four years.

Click here to view Barbara Darby’s video Scale Model of the Solar System.