If a model were constructed of the solar system, with the Sun the size of a football, what (a) sizes and (b) distances apart, would the Earth and other planets be? Is there such a scale model in existence?
If the Sun were the size of a football, the Earth would be less than the size of a pea and located approximately 36 metres away.
Henrik Kauffmann,
Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire
There is a scale model of the solar system along the footpath and cycle-way that follows the old railway line from York to Riccall. The Sun is at the York end, and is 2,400 millimetres in diameter. Within 400 metres one reaches the Earth — 22mm — but it is more than 10 kilometres to tiny Pluto — 6mm. The model was built by the University of York.
Peter Stokes,
Surbiton, Surrey
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There is a double scale model of the solar system called the Somerset Space Walk, placed along the Taunton to Bridgwater canal. Opened in August 1997, its scale is 530 million to one. The model of the Sun is half way along the canal, at Maunsel Lock, and is 2.6 metres in diameter (about 8ft 6in). The planets spread out both ways, with Earth 24 mm in diameter (just under an inch), and 282 metres away, while tiny Pluto, 11km away at Bridgwater, in the Brewhouse car park at Taunton, is only 4.2mm in diameter.
We live about half a mile from the canal, between Saturn and Uranus and one of our regular constitutionals is to “walk to Saturn”. The Space Walk gives a wonderful idea of the size of the Universe, especially when it is realised that to get to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, at the same scale, one would have to circumnavigate the Earth twice.
Shirley Beck,
Taunton, Somerset
Why are the words “hello” and “goodbye” in Italian (“ciao”) the same?
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Valerie Dinwiddy (September 10) is to be congratulated for informing the world that in the Netherlands the word dag means both coming and going. Is this an example of Double Dutch?
Robert Randell,
London SE26
The Hungarian greeting, szervusz, is also used both on meeting and departing. Its origin is rather similar to that of its counterpart. Just as “ciao” may be traced back to sclavus, meaning “slave”, szervusz originates from the Latin “servus humilis” — “I am your humble servant”.
However, there is a shocking new custom in Hungary. People greet each other in English with a hearty “hello”, but say “hello” on departing as well, believing the word to be the equivalent of szervusz.
Mátyás Sárközi,
London NW3
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Who was the first politician to use the phrase “wishing to spend more time with my family” as an excuse for leaving office?
I am sure that the Medicis and the Borgias stayed in politics in order to spend more time with their families.
Archie Thomson,
Whitby, North Yorkshire