Walking the Solar System

There’s a great way to gain a better understanding of the sheer scale of the Solar System, says Paul Fisher Cockburn – on foot

Most scientists agree that nothing and no one can travel faster than the speed of light – with the possible exception (at least according to the late Douglas Adams) of bad news. However, the good news is that there’s one way in which we can all break the light barrier, metaphorically – and you don’t even need a spaceship. Last October, the Dirleton Solar Walk officially opened in East Lothian, near Edinburgh, Scotland. This 1:3.6 billion scale model of the Solar System, which stretches just over 1.2km (0.7 miles), means that every step you take represents millions of kilometres in space. To complete the route in either direction, even at a slow pace, means that – symbolically, at least – you’re necessarily breaking the laws of physics. Currently there are…

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BBC Sky at Night United Kingdom (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025

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