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.
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.
You can buy this map to cover your walls, your beds or anything you’d like here. It’s really amazing!
[TableTopWhale, RedBubble, LiveScience]
@ AnneBrit
It’s the solar center, not Bongo (Earth). Otherwise I’d suspect conspiracy or the vatican is behind this ladies work.
Itn’t it marvelous, how they all align from earth?