Making a scaled representation of the distances present in the solar system in one complicated image. However, the story is different when it comes to a web page. Artist and designer Josh Worth created a website where users can virtually navigate through space and realize how vast our planetary system is.
The creator indicates in his blog that the idea behind the creation of If the moon were one pixel only emerged when he was making known the mysteries of the solar system to his daughter who was 5 years old at the time. The artist recalls that he tried to use several metaphors to explain the size of the planets and the distance between them.
Josh Worth quickly realized that the images in the science books, the models of the solar system and even telescopes end up giving us a somewhat misleading perception of the dimensions of the planets. So, we got to work and dedicated ourselves to building the website.
In If the moon were one pixel only, each pixel is equivalent to 3,474.8 km. The user starts the special trip in the center of the solar system and to move forward he has to move horizontally with the directional keys or with the mouse. As you browse, small messages of support emerge so you don't feel so alone in the immensity.
The website also allows you to understand the speed at which the light travels. If you’re not fully prepared to spend a good few minutes scrolling through space, the creator of If the moon were one pixel only left a handy bar at the top of the website where you can check the size of each of the planets. Pluto.
