As cell phones become ever more like mini computers, the list of things people can do with them becomes more amazing by the day. Recently, a new app for the Apple iPhone (3GS and 4) arrived that may be one of the coolest out there: the SpaceWalking app.
Those pictures of the solar system seen on the Internet and in astronomy textbooks are all wrong, sorry. So what could be the big error? The order of the planets is correct, as is their appearance. What's completely wrong is the scale. On a textbook paper size graphic, if everything was to scale, the planets would be too small to see, the distances between the worlds is that vast.
To gain an accurate picture of the solar system's true scale, one needs to take a walk. Enter the iPhone.
Using the new app, one can create a virtual model of the solar system to fit your preference. The smallest scale fits the planets into a few city blocks while larger scales go a lot bigger, so grab the walking shoes! The only catch with the app is that the walking must be done in a straight line. Hopefully, your city has a long, straight street with a sidewalk. Once ready to go, your phone transforms into a palm-sized space ship that displays travel information and facts about the worlds you are visiting. In all, the app includes the eight planets and objects from both the Kuiper and Asteroid Belts.
However, there's more to SpaceWalking than going for a walk.
People who download the app are invited to share their experiences, and achievements (there are over a dozen) on Twitter and Facebook.
Kind of makes you want to buy an iPhone, doesn't it?
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