Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Website Review: If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel

IF THE MOON WERE ONLY 1 PIXEL visualizes the scale of the solar system.
Using a series of slides, this fascinating model of solar system uses the scale of 1 pixel equal to 3474.8 kilometers (or the distance from New York to Las Vegas). As users scroll from the sun through the planets and moons in our solar system, interesting statements and facts appear on the screen.
A button is used to show how quickly light travels. An option is provided to change the scale to amounts such as miles, light minutes, buses, and blue whales. Users can also jump to specific objects in the solar system.
Librarians will find this web-based project to be a fun way to explore scale in both math and science. Use it in a display featuring books about scale and the solar system.