The Nature trail

Tour the solar system

www.nattsa.is

Publication, design and layout:

Náttúrustofa Suðausturlands © 2014 Litlubrú 2, 780 Höfn

Sími: 470 8060 / 4708061

Sponsors:

The nature trail and the solar system model

Along the western side of the village Höfn is a

trail with scenic views towards the glaciers of

Vatnajökull National Park. During wintertime

one can also enjoy the starry night sky and

the northern lights. The South East Iceland

Nature Center, supported by the municipality

of Hornafjörður, intend to dedicate the trail to

the nature, in wide sense, hence its nickname

"Náttúrustígur", the "Nature trail".

Along the trail is a model of the solar system,

scaled down more than 2.1 billion fold, with

sizes and distances in correct proportions. The

Sun (diameter 65 cm) is situated at the

Óslandshæð hill, just south of the village (see

map), with the planets distributed along the

trail. The diameter of the planets ranges from

1 mm to 6,5 cm. They are molded on top of a

metal poles, based on a gabbroic boulders

from the nearby Litlahorn mountain. A

information signs are attached to each

boulder.

The walk from the Sun to the planet Neptune

is 2.8 km long and it takes less than hour to

finish it one way. Information about the dwarf

planet Pluto are placed there, as officially

the trail ends there. Enthusiastics can still

continue to a point were the mean distance

of Pluto's orbit is sited. This part of the walk

crosses the golf course of Silfurnes so one

should stay aware of golf balls!

Other interesting aspects of the nature such

as bird activity and the coastal life can be

enjoyed from the trail, along with the solar

system model.

Pre

ntgr

ipur

The

Su

n

The

m

od

el

of

the

so

lar

syst

em

b

eg

ins

on

Ó

sla

nd

shæ

ð h

ill.

The

ac

tua

l d

iam

ete

r o

f th

e S

un

is

1.4

mill

ion

km

bu

t is

sc

ale

d d

ow

n t

o

65

cm

dia

me

ter.

Th

e v

elo

city o

f lig

ht

is 3

00

00

0 k

m/s

ec

. D

esp

ite

suc

h e

no

rmo

us

spe

ed

, h

ou

rs p

ass

es

aft

er

the

lig

ht

lea

ve

s th

e S

un

be

fore

it a

pp

roa

ch

th

e m

ost

dis

tan

t p

lan

ets

.

Me

rcu

ry

The

dis

tan

ce

be

twe

en

the

Su

n a

nd

Me

rcu

ry o

n

the

tra

il is

just

ab

ou

t 2

7

m.

Wh

en

sc

ale

d d

ow

n

the

pla

ne

t M

erc

ury

is

like

a c

oa

rse

gra

in o

f

san

d (

0,4

% o

f th

e S

un

's

size

). T

he

lig

ht

tra

ve

ls 3

,2

min

ute

s fr

om

su

n t

o

Me

rcu

ry .

Ve

nu

s Th

e w

alk

fro

m M

erc

ury

to V

en

us

is a

bo

ut

23

m.

The

sc

ale

d d

ow

n p

lan

et

Ve

nu

s is

ju

st li

ke

a b

ea

n

in t

he

mo

de

l (0

,9%

of

the

Su

n's

siz

e).

Th

e li

gh

t

tra

ve

llin

g f

rom

su

n t

ake

s

ab

ou

t 6

min

ute

s to

rea

ch

Ve

nu

s.

Ea

rth

W

alk

19

m f

rom

Ve

nu

s

to t

he

pla

ne

t Ea

rth

. Th

e

sca

led

do

wn

Ea

rth

is

on

ly li

ttle

bit la

rge

r th

an

Ve

nu

s (0

,9%

of

the

Su

n's

size

). T

he

lig

ht

tra

ve

ls

fro

m s

un

to

Ea

rth

in

8.3

min

ute

s. It

take

s a

pe

rso

n, w

alk

ing

at

an

ave

rag

e s

pe

ed

, le

ss

tha

n a

min

ute

to

co

ve

r

the

sc

ale

d d

ow

n

dis

tan

ce

. If

th

e li

gh

t

tra

ve

lled

at

suc

h s

pe

ed

the

ve

loc

ity o

f lig

ht

wo

uld

be

te

nfo

ld f

ast

er

tha

n it

ac

tua

lly is

.

Ma

rs

The

wa

lk f

rom

Ea

rth

to

Ma

rs is

37 m

. Th

e

dis

tan

ce

to

th

e S

un

is

no

w 1

06 m

. Th

e t

iny

Ma

rs r

ese

mb

les

fin

e

gra

ine

d s

an

d (

0.5

% o

f

the

Su

n's

siz

e).

Th

e li

gh

t,

tra

ve

llin

g f

rom

th

e S

un

,

rea

ch

es

Ma

rs in

13

min

ute

s. C

ere

s Th

is is

the

larg

est

ast

er-

iod

in t

he

ast

ero

id b

elt

an

d c

ate

go

rize

d a

s a

dw

arf

pla

ne

t. In

th

e

mo

de

l its

siz

e is

co

mp

aa

rab

le t

o a

pin

´s

he

ad

(0

,00

06

% o

f th

e

Su

ns'

s si

ze).

Th

e w

alk

be

twe

en

Ma

rs a

nd

Ce

res

is 9

3 m

. Th

e t

rave

l

tim

e o

f th

e li

gh

t, f

rom

the

Su

n t

o C

ere

s, is

23

min

ute

s.

Jup

ite

r Ju

pite

r is

th

e la

rge

st

pla

ne

t in

th

e s

ola

r

syst

em

. It

s m

od

elle

d s

ize

is s

imila

r a

s a

te

nn

is b

all

(10

% o

f th

e S

un

's s

ize

).

The

wa

lkin

g d

ista

nc

e

be

twe

en

Ce

res

an

d

Ju

pite

r is

22

8 m

. Th

e li

gh

t

ne

ed

s 4

3 m

inu

tes

of

tra

ve

l tim

e, fr

om

th

e S

un

be

fore

en

terin

g J

up

ite

r.

Sa

turn

Th

e d

ista

nc

e b

etw

ee

n

Ju

pite

r a

nd

Sa

turn

is 4

06

m.

The

pla

ne

t's

size

in

the

mo

de

l is

som

ew

ha

t

like

a m

an

da

rin

(8

% o

f

the

Su

n's

siz

e).

Sa

turn

rin

gs

are

no

t p

rese

nte

d

bu

t w

ou

ld e

nc

irc

le t

he

pla

ne

t u

p t

o a

bo

ut

6

cm

dis

tan

ce

. It

ta

ke

s th

e

ligh

t 1

.3 h

ou

rs t

o r

ea

ch

Sa

turn

aft

er

lea

vin

g t

he

Su

n.

Ura

nu

s Th

e w

alk

be

twe

en

Sa

turn

an

d U

ran

us

is 8

70

m lo

ng

. Th

e s

ize

of

the

pla

ne

t is

a b

it le

ss t

ha

n

on

e E

UR

co

in (

4%

of

the

Su

n's

siz

e).

Th

e li

gh

t

rea

ch

es

Ura

nu

s 2

.6

ho

urs

aft

er

lea

vin

g t

he

Su

n.

Plu

to

Plu

to isn

’t c

ate

go

rize

d

as

a p

lan

et

an

ym

ore

,

ho

we

ve

r h

is p

rese

nc

e is

inte

nd

ed

to

re

min

d t

ha

t

the

so

lar

syst

em

exte

nd

s

far

be

yo

nd

th

e o

rbits

of

the

ou

ter

pla

ne

ts. Th

e

wa

lk b

etw

ee

n N

ep

tun

e

an

d P

luto

is

98

0 m

lon

g.

The

mo

de

l´s

size

of

Plu

to

is s

imila

r a

s a

pin

he

ad

(0.1

5%

of

the

Su

n's

dia

-

me

ter)

. Th

e li

gh

t tr

ave

l

5.5

ho

urs

to

re

ac

h P

luto

aft

er

lea

vin

g t

he

Su

n.

Ne

ptu

ne

Th

e w

alk

fro

m U

ran

us

to

Ne

ptu

ne

is

107

0 m

lon

g.

The

dia

me

ter

of

Ne

p-

tun

e is

sim

ilar

as

Ura

nu

s

(3.5

% o

f th

e S

un

's

dia

me

ter)

. Th

e li

gh

t

tra

ve

ls t

o N

ep

tun

e in

ab

ou

t 4

.2 h

ou

rs.