Video Podcasts: The Incredible Two-Inch Universe

Step 2: The Realm of Our Sun the Only Star in Our Solar System

Now let's switch scales by shrinking the minivan-sized Sun down to a 2-inch diameter:

• Earth Size - A grain of salt, with a dust-speck Moon 1/2 inch away from it
• Sun-Earth Distance - 20 feet (5.5 m) - or 10 paces away
• Pluto's Orbit - 2.5 soccer fields away from the 2-inch Sun
• Nearest Star to Sun - 900 miles away (1500 km)
• Light Travel Time - It takes 8 minutes for a beam of light to travel from the Sun to the Earth.