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Nestling in Kent's Darent valley stands a monument to the Millennium in the form of an array of white pillars. These mark out the planets as they stood on Millennium night for all to see, and walk.
Click Here for the Solar System Map
The scale of this model is 1:4,595,700,000. The SUN (diameter 1,392,530 km) as centre of the solar system is represented by a dome (diameter 303mm) and each planet by a scale engraving on a flat disc. This disc is also 303mm across to give the viewer a size comparison of each planet to the sun. The engravings for Jupiter and Saturn are shown as seen from Earth since this is the familiar view for most people. For safety reasons the Mars pillar found between two football pitches is at ground level. The positions of the pillars reflect the positions of the planets as at midnight on 1st January 2000. The positions of the planets Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto have had to be only slightly adjusted in order make them accessible to the public.
Part of the reason for building this Solar System model was to get some idea of how big it is. If you have walked round as far as tiny Pluto and looked back towards the Sun on the recreation ground, you begin to get a sense of its vastness and the emptiness of space. We have said that on the scale of this model the nearest star would be 8844 km away, just this side of Los Angeles U.S.A., about an 11 hr flight by jet! It is the only other star we could get on this planet. And that's just what has been done... Sitting in the Griffith Observatory (left), Los Angeles, is a triangular plinth holding Proxima Centauri, the second closest star to us, after the Sun, of course. This truly is a scale model of global proportions! This model was built as part of the Otford Parish Council’s Millennium celebrations and is owned by the Parish Council. A grant for the making and supply of the pillars and discs was given by PPARC (Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council) which aims to promote public understanding of science and astronomy through educational projects. A further grant was given by KCC Rural Revival Scheme to promote publicity of the project. We thank Otford Builders
Merchants for the donation of the raw materials for the erection of the pillars and Weber and Broutin for supplying sealing treatment for the finished pillars. The initial idea of the scheme was conceived by D.P.Thomas MA and the design, surveying and calculations were jointly carried out by D.P.Thomas and Councillor B.J.Keenan FRAS on the basis of information from US Naval Observatory, Washington and the Computing section of British Astronomical Association. YOUR HELP IS NEEDED This model has been made of the most durable materials that could be afforded and we hope that they will last for the next 1000 years when future astronomers should be able to work out to within a half hour when we celebrated our millennium! Maybe if you give each pillar top a wipe with a soft clean tissue it will bring you good luck! Further information and a booklet giving interesting facts about the planets and solar system may be obtained from Otford Parish Heritage Centre, 21 High Street, Otford, Kent TN14 5PG Tel. 01959 525298 Otford library Tel 01959 522488 Sevenoaks library Tel 01732 453118 More leaflets may be obtained either from the above or from Otford Antiques & Collectors Shop, 26 High Str, Otford Pharmacy, 4 High Str Otford Post Office, Sevenoaks Road. The Heritage Centre also holds leaflets giving places of interest which may be seen whilst visiting the planets. |
