Sweden Solar System
The Sweden Solar System opened its doors on the 19th of February 1989. Nils Brenning and Gösta Gahm launched this massive project from their positions at the Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University respectively. They chose a scale where one meter equals twenty million kilometers to make the vast distances comprehensible. The Avicii Arena in Stockholm serves as the central Sun model for the entire system. This building stands as the largest hemispherical structure globally, providing a fitting anchor for the scale model.
Mercury sits just outside the Stockholm City Museum with a diameter of twenty-five centimeters. Peter Varhelyi crafted the small metallic sphere that marks Mercury's position. Venus resides inside Vetenskapens hus at KTH Royal Institute of Technology measuring sixty-two centimeters across. A previous version by Daniel Oberti shattered around the 11th of June 2011 after falling during transit celebrations. Earth measures sixty-five centimeters and rests within the Swedish Museum of Natural History alongside satellite images. An elaborate Moon model spans eighteen centimeters and sits about three meters away from the Earth replica. Mars appears as a thirty-five centimeter copper globe at Mörby centrum in Danderyd. Heikki Haapanen designed the Martian model which connects via an umbilical cord to a steel plate featuring Earth imagery.
Jupiter occupies space inside the Clarion Hotel at Stockholm Arlanda Airport spanning seven point three meters. It now functions as a ring light above a lobby replacing earlier flower decorations. Saturn stretches six point one meters and stands outside the old observatory of Anders Celsius in Uppsala. The model exists as a mat picture but plans exist for it to crown a school planetarium. Uranus measures two point six meters and was reconstructed behind Stora magasinet in Lövstabruk on the 13th of October 2012. Blue steel bars form its outdoor structure with a red line marking the rotation axis. Neptune reaches two point five meters and sits by the river Söderhamnsån in Söderhamn. Acrylic construction allows the model to shine blue at night while honoring the sea deity's name.
Pluto and Charon rest near the southern Dellen lakes in Delsbo measuring twelve centimeters and six centimeters respectively. Gravelike pillars made from dellenite support these sculptures reflecting the mythological connection to death. Haumea appears as a ten-centimeter object at the 2047 Science Centre in Borlänge. Quaoar spans six centimeters and resides within the library in Gislaved. Ixion measures six point five centimeters and is held by a hand sculpture at Technichus in Härnösand. Makemake occupies seven centimeters inside Slottsskogsobservatoriet in Gothenburg. Oumuamua shrinks to just three millimeters and stands in Plönninge Halland. Eris reaches thirteen centimeters and features golden material inspired by Greek mythology at Umeå Arts Campus. Sedna measures ten centimeters and exists at Teknikens Hus in Luleå representing its highly elliptical orbit.
Halley's Comet manifests through four models at Balthazar Science Center in Skövde since the 16th of December 2009. Three outdoor versions derive from schoolchildren drawings while one indoor piece uses laser light through glass. Comet Swift-Tuttle sits at Kreativum in Karlshamn with an orbit closest to Stockholm and farthest reaching Karlshamn distances. The Termination Shock remains unsculpted but has a foundation plate at Kiruna above the Arctic Circle. This boundary marks where solar wind transitions to subsonic velocity within the heliosphere. A minor planet named Jörmungandr appears as a tiny dot at Ion Game Design office in Stockholm on the 23rd of September 2023. Other asteroids like Saltis and Vesta occupy various schools and observatories across Sweden.
International artists contributed significantly to the project including Peter Varhelyi and Heikki Haapanen. Daniel Oberti created a Venus model that shattered around the 11th of June 2011 during transit celebrations. Uranus suffered vandalism before reconstruction behind Stora magasinet in Lövstabruk in 2012. Saturn's model was taken down due to vandalism incidents affecting its public display. Theresa Berg crafted the golden Eris model inspired by Greek goddess quarrels over a golden apple. Various schools participated in creating moon models for Saturn including Enceladus at Kvarngärdesskolan. The system continues expanding as new discoveries add objects to the permanent scale model collection.
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Common questions
When did the Sweden Solar System open its doors?
The Sweden Solar System opened its doors on the 19th of February 1989. Nils Brenning and Gösta Gahm launched this massive project from their positions at the Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University respectively.
Where is the Mercury model located in the Sweden Solar System?
Mercury sits just outside the Stockholm City Museum with a diameter of twenty-five centimeters. Peter Varhelyi crafted the small metallic sphere that marks Mercury's position.
What happened to the Venus model in the Sweden Solar System on the 11th of June 2011?
A previous version by Daniel Oberti shattered around the 11th of June 2011 after falling during transit celebrations. The current Venus resides inside Vetenskapens hus at KTH Royal Institute of Technology measuring sixty-two centimeters across.
How large is the Jupiter model in the Sweden Solar System?
Jupiter occupies space inside the Clarion Hotel at Stockholm Arlanda Airport spanning seven point three meters. It now functions as a ring light above a lobby replacing earlier flower decorations.
Who created the Eris model for the Sweden Solar System?
Theresa Berg crafted the golden Eris model inspired by Greek goddess quarrels over a golden apple. Eris reaches thirteen centimeters and features golden material inspired by Greek mythology at Umeå Arts Campus.