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The Sun is over 1.39 million kilometres wide but if
it were the size of the 37-metre Anglo-Australian
Telescope Dome at Siding Spring Observatory, Pluto
would be up to 200 kilometres away, and the size
of a billiard ball!
Did you know?
•Some rocks found on
Earth are actually pieces
of Mars
•The Sun makes up 99.86%
of the Solar System’s
mass! That means that all
the planets put together
as well as all the asteroids
only make up about 0.14%
of the Solar System
The Sun
The centre of the Sun has a temperature of at least 15 million degrees.
It takes light 8.5 minutes to travel from the Sun to the Earth.
Mercury
Mercury is the closest
planet to the Sun, but
its dark side is one of
the coldest places in
the Solar System, with
temperatures as low as
minus 173°C.
Saturn
Saturn would float if
you could throw it in a
bucket of water. The
fascinating ring system
observed by Galileo in
1610 is only beginning
to be understood. First
thought to be moons of
Saturn, it is now known
that the rings comprise
trillions of ice and rock
chunks ranging in size
from dust particles to
the size of a small car.
Venus
Venus is the hottest
planet in the Solar
System with temperatures reaching 450º
Celsius. It is so hot,
that it can melt lead.
Venus also probably
once had oceans but
they all boiled away
into the atmosphere.
Earth
Our moon is moving
away from Earth at
about 3.8cm per year.
There is enough railroad
track on the Earth to go
to the moon and back
several times. Why is
this planet named Earth
when 71% of its surface
consists of water?
Uranus
First recorded in 1690 as
being a star, it took 91
years for astronomers
to realize that a mistake
had been made and
that this was the Solar
System’s 7th planet.
Uranus takes some 84
years to orbit the Sun.
Mars
Mars is the planet that
is considered the best
candidate (besides
Earth) to harbour life.
Olympus Mons, located
on Mars, is the largest
volcano in the Solar
System— it’s 3 times
higher than Mount
Everest.
Neptune
The blue colour of the
planet Neptune is due
to the absorption of red
light by methane in the
atmosphere. Neptune
has stronger winds
than any other planet
in the Solar System
with gusts up to 2,500
km/hour.
Jupiter
Jupiter rotates about its
axis in only 9 hours, 55
minutes, as compared
with 23 hours, 56
minutes for Earth.
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot
probably smells of garlic
and one of Jupiter’s
moons (Io) looks like
pizza!
Pluto
Pluto is not always the
furthest planet from the
Sun. For 20 years of its
248-year orbit, Pluto is
closer to the Sun than
Neptune. In August
2006, the General
Assembly of the International Astronomical
Union reclassified Pluto
as a “dwarf planet”. Its
demotion means there
are now only 8 planets
in our Solar System.
visit
www.solarsystemdrive.com
for more information on the drives
and the planets...
If you’ve ever wondered how vast
our Solar System actually is, then it’s
time to launch into Coonabarabran,
Central NSW, and travel through
space faster than the speed of light.
Sound impossible? Well it’s not when
you tour the World’s Largest Virtual
Solar System Drive. Discover one or
more of the five drives that lead to
Australia’s largest optical astronomy
research centre, Siding Spring
Observatory, when you journey
through
the Solar
System and
picturesque
NSW
countryside.
See three
dimensional
planet
models
composite photo
attached
to starry billboard signs that have
been scaled 38 million times smaller
than outer space! And the distance
between each planet is also scaled,
just like shuttling your way through
our real Solar System. This means if
you were travelling at 100km/hr in
your car you’d be “virtually” hurtling
through space at a million kilometres
per second—more than three times
faster than the speed of light!
Siding Spring Observatory is home to
Nestled in the spectacular
Warrumbungle National Park, the
37-metre
AngloAustralian
Observatory
dome
represents
the Sun
in this
scaled Solar
System
model.
Planets
are located on roadsides, at RTA
rest areas and Visitor Information
Centres along the five main roads
that link the
observatory
with the
regional
towns of
Dubbo,
Tamworth,
Gulgong,
Moree and
Merriwa.
www.solarsystemdrive.com
Accredited Visitor
Information Centres
COONABARABRAN 1800 242 881
DUNEDOO 1800 242 881
NARRABRI 1800 659 931
TAMWORTH 6767 5300
GUNNEDAH 6740 2230
the giant 3.9 metre
Anglo-Australian Telescope
and located 28 kilometres west of
Coonabarabran - aptly known as the
Astronomy Capital of Australia - in
the Warrumbungle Shire.
MERRIWA 6548 2607
MUDGEE 6372 1020
GULGONG 6374 1202
DUBBO
6801 4450
GILGANDRA 6817 8700
Coonabarabran Visitor
Information Centre
Freecall 1800 242 881
The Solar System Drive is a daytime experience. Visitors are encouraged
to stop at each planet in a safe manner, taking care when pulling off
and back onto the roadway. Visitors please note that Siding Spring
Observatory is only open during the day, please check the website for
opening times: www.sidingspringexploratory.com.au
Siding Spring Observatory
MERCURY
- Parkes radio telescope
visitors centre and dish café
Open 7 days 8.30-4.15, Newell Hwy
20km north of Parkes
100km south of Dubbo
EARTH
Pluto
Neptune
Uranus
Saturn
Jupiter
Mars
Earth
Venus
Mercury
The Sun
Dubbo Visitor Centre, Newell Hwy
Gilgandra Cooee Heritage Centre, Newell Hwy
Tooraweenah Rest Area, Newell Hwy
Camkeena Rest Area, Newell Hwy
Timor Road, west of Coonabarabran
Timor Road, west of Coonabarabran
Observatory Road, west of Coonabarabran
Observatory Road, west of Coonabarabran
Observatory Road, west of Coonabarabran
Siding Spring Observatory
190
119
79
40
21.5
5.5
4.1
1.9
1.2
0
Pluto
Neptune Milling Park, Golden Hwy Dunedoo
New Mollyan, Mendooran Rd
Uranus
For Saturn to the Sun see Drive 1
6km south of Birriwa, Castlereagh Hwy
02 6861 1777
www.csiro.au/parkesdish
JUPITER
MARS
Timor
Rd.
Kenebri
Drive 2: Gulgong
Astronomy
sessions
daily
StarThai Restaurant
*
Coeliac and other dietary
needs catered for
Complimentary Mini-Golf with
02 6842 3303
dinner and stars
Bookings recommended
Timor Road, Coonabarabran, NSW 2357 · fax: 02 6842 2978
[email protected] · www.skywatchobservatory.com
Open: 10.30am until late - every day except Christmas Day
phone
*
Pilliga Rest Area 2, Newell Hwy, south
Narrabri
Yaminbah Rest Area, Newell Hwy
Uranus
Oxley and Newell Hwy Rest Area
Saturn
For Jupiter to the Sun see Drive 1
OXLEY
Y
HW
PLUTO
197
133
79
34
8:30pm to 10pm (during daylight saving)
a research-grade telescope open to the public
SATURN
Quirindi
HWY
LL
Binnaway
URANUS
Coolah Tops
National Park
GILGANDRA
NEPTUNE
MENDOORAN
193
119
17L Camp Road Dubbo, Phone 6885 3022
Other attractions
NEPTUNE
DUNEDOO
Note: Distances are approximate only
PLUTO
Siding Spring
PLUTO
Observatory
largest
optical
telescope
in
Birriwa
GOLDEN HWY
DUBBO
Australia
Gulgong
 exhibits  cafe 
PARKES
WELLINGTON
MUDGEE
For opening times please check our website
www.sidingspringexploratory.com.au
Timor Road, Coonabarabran. Ph 6842 6211
Photo: David Kirkland
Photo: David Kirkland
night: zoom around the
moon and explore the
planets and beyond with
our state of the art
computerised telescopes.
day: putt around the
universe on our 18 hole
mini golf course.
NEPTUNE
COOLAH
79
34
Dubbo Observatory
dubbo’s star attraction
URANUS
Collie
Werris Ck.
Tambar Springs
*
The
Willie Street, Gilgandra, 2827
Phone: 02 6847 2646
TAMWORTH
NEPTUNE
COONABARABRAN
URANUS
Drive 5: Moree
Sugar’s Park, Newell Hwy Bellata
computer simulations
Open: 7pm to 10pm Mon to Sat
SATURN
Gulargambone
 Guided tours of the night skies
 Display centre with interactive
GUNNEDAH
Mullaley
Timor
Rd.
205
118
74
41
NE
W
E
Rest Area opposite Tamworth Airport
Pluto
Neptune Gunnedah, Oxley Hwy, near Rural Museum
Oxley Hwy, Gooli Rd turn-off
Uranus
Oxley and Newell Hwy Rest Area
Saturn
For Jupiter to the Sun see Drive 1
Pluto
Neptune
Manilla
SATURN
Drive 4: Tamworth
Guided Tours
*Telescope
Viewing
*Planetarium
*Sun Viewing
*Space
Exhibition
*Astro Mini-Golf
*
* Constellation Garden
Be an Astronomer for a Night!
URANUS
Warrumbungle
National Park
Rotary Park, Golden Hwy Merriwa
Pluto
Neptune Jorrock’s Park, Binnia Street, Coolah
Ulinda, Warrumbungles Way
Uranus
Deringulla Bridge, Warrumbungles Way
Saturn
For Jupiter to the Sun see Drive 1
Astronomy
Activities
Gilgandra Observatory
URANUS
Drive 3: Merriwa
Observatory &
Boggabri
Baradine
COONAMBLE
157
132
70
Barraba
NEPTUNE
HW
Y
near Narrabri & Parkes
VENUS
Drive 1: Dubbo
Mt. Kaputar
National Park
NARRABRI
LL
Visit the Australia Telescope
Location of Planets and distances (km) to Siding
Spring Observatory
WE
visitors centre
Open 7 days daylight hours, Yarrie Lake Rd
20km west of Narrabri
atss527111
The Drives
All drives end at Siding Spring Observatory
Compact Array Narrabri
THE DISH
PLUTO
NE
www.csiro.au/narrabriobservatory
02 6790 4070
While the majority of planets have been accurately located at sites that reflect the relative distance from the
Sun, safety considerations have resulted in some planets being positioned slightly out of their usual orbit!
PLUTO
Merriwa
SCONE
There’s plenty to see and do as
you travel through the spectacular countryside of regional
NSW. Beautiful national parks
provide excellent opportunities
for bushwalking, camping,
photography and rock climbing.
Discover the numerous native
animals and birds, see the
stunning wildflowers in Spring,
and experience the region’s
impressive wine tasting areas.
As part of your cosmic experience through the Solar System,
why not drop into one or more
of the area’s six observatories
– located at Parkes, Dubbo,
Gilgandra, Narrabri, and
Coonabarabran - and see first
hand what astronomy and
science has to offer.