We’re lucky, all things considered, to have as gorgeous and unobtrusive a dance partner as the moon. But what if the other planets in the solar system were in its place, orbiting a mere 380,000km from Earth? Terrifying beauty.
Brad Goodspeed’s “Scale” shows us just how small we really are in the grand scheme of things, sure. But it also reminds us of the awe-inspiring beauty of the universe—and how lucky we are to have such a manageable back yard.
Update from Brad Goodspeed: NOTE: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO DOES NOT REPRESENT THE ENTIRE NIGHT SKY, or at least it doesn’t anymore. I’ve updated the video to omit the foreground landscape in an effort to account for an error in perspective. Unfortunately, due to my error, websites are widely reporting that Jupiter would fill the entire night sky, but it wouldn’t. What’s depicted here is a much narrower perspective than the previously mentioned 62 degrees, something that I imagine could be calculated by people much brighter than I. I imagine this view is closer to what you’d see through some very weak binoculars, but that’s just a guess. For a somewhat technical explanation of what was wrong with the original version of this video, and what that realization can teach us about skepticism, please read this.
[Brad Blogspeed via OHYST]
