Have you ever imagined what the Sun would look like from all the planets of our solar system? This phenomenon is explored in these wonderful illustrations created by Ron Miller.
Space is a mystery that has been confusing to humans since the dawn of time. After centuries of observation and research, we still do not know what the universe is. There are plenty of theories, but very few things we have actually proven to be true.
Until recently, we only knew that there were planets inside the solar system. Currently, we know that there are millions of planets in the universe, but the search for habitable planets is still in progress.
A planet’s distance from the Sun is one of the most important things for the existence of life. The scientist calls it the Goldilocks zone. If a planet is too near to the Sun, there will be too much heat, and if the planet is too far away from the sun, it will be too cold for life as we know it to develop.
Therefore, a planet that supports life needs to be in a habitable zone that has just the right amount of sunlight. In addition, a sufficient amount of warmth will generate water that is the key ingredient to all life forms we know of.
Sometimes, we take the Sun for granted, it is just there and if science is correct, it will be there for a long time. It is hard to imagine how our world would look like if the magnificent star that gave us life was positioned differently. As a matter of fact, all the planets in our solar system have a different sunset. This astounding phenomenon is explored in a series of illustrations created by Ron Miller.
Ron is not only an illustrator but a writer as well. He has published numerous books that explore the subjects related to the secrets of the universe. One thing becomes apparent after taking a look at his work: he is endlessly curious about space and all its mysteries.
In his work as an illustrator, he tries to depict as scientifically as possible how the view of the sun would appear when seen from all the planets of our solar system. If an object in space is nearer to the beholder, it will appear larger and, conversely, the further away the object is, the smaller it seems.
Ron Miller has produced a lot of illustrations and books over the course of his career, which makes him an expert in this field. His illustrations have been published in magazines such as National Geographic, Scientific American, Smithsonian, to name just a few.
The breathtaking images of a Sun as it appears from another planet gives its viewers another perspective on how life could be. He said in an interview that:
I’ve taken care in not only making sure the Sun is depicted realistically but also the surfaces of the planets and satellites as well.
Enjoy viewing these extraordinary images in the video below that will hopefully leave you thinking about how beautiful the sunsets on our little planet are and imagining what the sun would look like from all the planets in our solar system.
Here is a brief description of each planet and its ‘relationship’ with the Sun:
Mercury (58 million kilometers from Sun)
This is the smallest planet in our solar system and the one that is the nearest to the Sun. It has no atmosphere and the temperatures go from extremely cold to boiling hot. The Sun must seem gigantic from such close proximity.
Venus (108 million kilometers from Sun)
The hottest planet in the Solar system is often referred to as Earth’s sister planet because they are similar in size and mass. Its atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide, which makes the sun barely visible from the planet’s hot surface.
Earth (149,6 million kilometers from Sun)
There is no place like home. Earth is home to only life forms we know of in the entire universe. Its distance from the sun and abundance of water make it a perfect place for life to develop. The sunsets from Earth are beautiful, but you might already know that.
Mars (228 million kilometers from Sun)
The recent exploration of Mars has proved that at one point in the history of the universe the Red Planet had water. Today, as this image shows the surface of the second-smallest planet in our solar system is a rocky desert. The sunset resembles the sunsets that can be seen from Earth.
Jupiter (779 million kilometers from Sun)
The largest planet in the Solar system is largely composed of hydrogen and helium. Layers of its atmosphere are clearly visible from our satellites, but if you would stand on the surface of the planet, Sun would be nearly invisible. The picture above shows the view from Saturn’s moon Europa.
Saturn (1.43 billion kilometers from Sun)
This gas giant has 62 moons that decorate the skies above the planet. Although it is far away from the Sun, it still isn’t possible to look at it from the planet’s surface without eye protection.
Uranus (2.88 billion kilometers from Sun)
Uranus’ atmosphere is similar to Jupiter’s and Saturn’s in its composition because it contains hydrogen and helium, but it has more ices like water, ammonia, and methane. It is a very cold planet, partly due to its distance from the Sun. The Sun looks like a bright spot in a landscape.
Neptune (4.5 billion kilometers from Sun)
This ice giant has the 17 times the mass of Earth and orbits the Sun once in every 164.8 years. Neptune has the coldest planet in our Solar system and the Sun viewed from this planet seems like a distant object in a cold night sky.
Pluto (5.91 billion kilometers from Sun)
Despite the almost unimaginable distance from its star, this dwarf planet still orbits our Sun. It is placed on the outskirts of our Solar system and from such a large distance the Sun is nothing more than a tiny spot on the horizon.
Tell us what you think about the video above and Ron Miller’s work and what you imagine the Sun looks like from all the planets of our solar system.
References:
These pictures are superb. Thank you !!!
Art