Gorgeous 'Atlas of Space' Smashes the Textbook View of the Solar System

[Judi Lynn]

By Brandon Specktor, Senior Writer | June 20, 2019 03:30pm ET

- click for image -

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This map of the solar system shows the precise orbital patterns of 18,000 celestial objects, thanks to data from NASA and other public archives.
Credit: Eleanor Lutz/TabletopWhale.com



In most maps of the solar system, you can expect to see the eight canonical planets (plus whatever Pluto is at the moment) trailing the fiery orange sun like polite little ducklings in a row. In biologist Eleanor Lutz's new map of the solar system, which shows the precise orbital paths of more than 18,000 near celestial objects, you'll be lucky if you can even find Mars.

Lutz is a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington who spends her evenings turning public data sets into hyperdetailed works of art. In her new project, called the Atlas of Space, she's borrowed more than a decade of data compiled by the likes of NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey and other science organizations to create some of the most accurate maps of the solar system that will fit on your bedroom wall. [10 Interesting Places in the Solar System We'd Like to Visit]

The map shown here, which Lutz posted to her website on June 10, was created from orbital data taken from a dozen different public databases. Going above and beyond most textbook space maps, this guide to the cosmos shows the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune in gorgeous, chaotic detail.

"This map shows each asteroid at its exact position on New Years' Eve 1999," Lutz wrote on her site. "This includes everything we know of that's over 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter — about 10,000 asteroids — as well as 8,000 randomized objects of unknown size."

More:
https://www.livescience.com/65761-eleanor-lutz-solar-system-map.html

[luvMIdog]

1. That's really cool

I was on another site a few minutes ago looking at some beautiful photos with dark matter. Just gorgeous stuff

[Auggie]

2. Stunning. But also curious when Earth gets clobbered by another asteroid.

Inevitable, for sure.

[tblue37]

3. K&R and thanks! nt

[Wounded Bear]

4. Wow, awesome...

[pscot]

5. Spectacular

[MFGsunny]

6. Amazing. Tons of thanks. n/t

[MineralMan]

7. Looks strangely like rings, eh?