A Solar System trail for every place

Understand the Solar System by experiencing its distances

A Solar System trail is a scaled representation of the Solar System. The Sun is the starting point; each planet is placed at a distance proportional to its average distance from the Sun. Walking from one station to the next helps visitors experience the vast gaps between the planets.

Distances are at the heart of the model. At these scales, planets are too small to see, so their illustrations may be enlarged on the posters for readability. Any enlargement will be clearly labelled to distinguish the illustration from the distances represented along the trail.

Trails already in place around the world

The idea has been adapted in many countries, for different locations and audiences:

• The Sweden Solar System, Sweden: a model spread across the country, with the Sun represented in Stockholm and planetary stations in different towns.
• Cozmix Planet Trail, Bruges, Belgium: an 835-metre walk that represents planetary distances and sizes to scale, complemented by a discovery app.
• Danube Planet Trail, Germany: a trail along the Danube at a scale of 1:1 billion, with information boards and QR codes for the planets.

These examples show how one idea can become an urban walk, a nature trail or a science-learning resource.

Luxembourg: building on existing work and opening new formats

Luxembourg already has a planetary trail, “De Saturn”, in Schifflange. This route is about 4.07 kilometres long and introduces visitors to the Solar System and mythology. Its existence shows that this kind of experience has a place in Luxembourg, while a trail located in Schifflange may not be visible or close to every audience. The concept proposed here complements the existing offer by enabling towns, schools and institutions to create their own version at a scale suited to their setting.

This is an independent initiative from the specific Kirchberg Solar System project. Kirchberg may become a local implementation in its own right; this concept is designed for use anywhere and is not tied to one location.

Four formats, one idea

The distances below are approximate, based on the planets’ average distances from the Sun. In each format, Neptune is about 90% of the stated nominal route length from the Sun.

Each installation can be adapted to the available space. The trail works outdoors and indoors, with distances that are straightforward to set out and explore.

Posters and QR codes for self-guided learning

The project plans to offer print-ready posters for the Sun and each of the eight planets, tailored to the different formats. Each poster can show key facts and the distance for the selected scale. Any enlarged planet illustration will be labelled.

A QR code for each planet will open its learning page. General QR codes will lead to the Solar System Trail homepage and to the “Create your own Solar System” instructions. Short links on go.cimolino.lu will make the pages easy to scan and share.

The aim is to let anyone choose a format, print the materials and create a trail suited to their setting — in a classroom, school, park or public route.

A first possible location in Luxembourg City

For a first urban installation, the area around the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge, known as the Red Bridge, could be considered as a starting point. A route towards Avenue John F. Kennedy would make it possible to explore visibility from a busy corridor used by public transport passengers.

Create a trail in your town or institution

Town, school, association or institution: each place can choose the scale that suits it and create an educational walk for its community.