Sweden Solar System


The Sweden Solar System is the world's largest permanent scale model of the Solar System. The Sun is represented by Avicii Arena in Stockholm, the largest hemispherical building in the world. The inner planets can also be found in Stockholm but the outer planets are situated northward in other cities along the Baltic Sea. The system was started by Nils Brenning, professor at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and Gösta Gahm, professor at the Stockholm University. The model represents the Solar System on the scale of 1:20 000 000, i.e. one metre represents 20,000 km.

The system

The bodies represented in this model include the Sun, the planets, dwarf planets and many types of small bodies, as well as some abstract concepts. Because of the existence of many small bodies in the real Solar System, the model can always be further increased.
The Sun is represented by the Avicii Arena, Stockholm, which is the largest hemispherical building in the world, in diameter. To respect the scale, the globe represents the Sun including its corona.

Inner planets

Mercury is placed at Stockholm City Museum, from the Globe. The small metallic sphere was built by the artist Peter Varhelyi.Venus is placed at Vetenskapens hus at the KTH [Royal Institute of Technology], from the Globe. It was previously located at the Observatory Museum in Stockholm. A previous model, made by the United States artist Daniel Oberti, was inaugurated during a Venus transit on 8 June 2004 and placed at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. It fell and shattered around 11 June 2011.Earth is located at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, from the Globe. Satellite images of the Earth are exhibited beside the Globe. An elaborate model of the Moon is also on display, about from the model of Earth.Mars is located at Mörby centrum, a shopping centre and Stockholm metro station in Danderyd, a suburb of Stockholm. It is from the Globe. The model, made in copper by the Finnish artist Heikki Haapanen, is connected by an "umbilical cord" to a steel plate on the floor having an Earth image. The globe also features marks that represent some typical Martian chemical elements.

Gas giants

Jupiter is placed inside the Clarion Hotel located at Stockholm Arlanda Airport in Sigtuna Municipality, from the Globe. Previously, it was made as a flower decoration, with different flowers representing different zones of the giant gas planet. Today, the planet is depicted as a ring light above a lobby.Saturn is placed outside the old observatory of Anders Celsius, in the square Celsiustorget in the centre of Uppsala, from the Globe. Inaugurated during the International Year of Astronomy, the model is a mat with a picture of Saturn, but will eventually grow to crown a school planetarium in the city. In addition, several schools in Uppsala are to provide moons of Saturn: the first completed was Enceladus at Kvarngärdesskolan. 'Uranus was vandalized and the new model was reconstructed behind Stora magasinet in Lövstabruk in 2012. It is an outdoor model made of blue steel bars. The rotation axis of the planet is marked in red.Neptune''' is located by the river Söderhamnsån in Söderhamn, a coast town with tradition of fishing and sailing. Placed from the Globe, the model is made of acrylic and, at night, shines with a blue light.

Trans-Neptunian objects

Pluto and its largest moon Charon are placed near the southern of the Dellen lakes, in Delsbo, from the Globe. The lakes are thought to be formed by a meteorite impact 90 million years ago. The two bodies' sculptures are supported by two gravelike pillars, made up with dellenite, a rare mineral formed at that place by the meteorite impact.

Other bodies

471926 Jörmungandr a minor planet in Stockholm.