Uranus - Ursan aurinkokuntamalli, Espoo Travel Guide

The Uranus model is a part of the Ursan aurinkokuntamalli, a scale model of our solar system scattered throughout Helsinki and Espoo. The model brings the cosmos down to Earth, allowing visitors to grasp the immense distances and sizes of the planets in relation to each other.The Uranus model itself is located in a pavilion in the Laajalahti Nature Reserve, near Villa Elfvik. This places it within a beautiful and tranquil environment, perfect for contemplation and learning. Laajalahti is known as one of the best bird watching areas in the Greater Helsinki region, so combining a visit to the Uranus model with some bird spotting is a great way to spend a day.The model is built to a scale of 1:1 billion, meaning that one millimeter in the model represents 1,000 kilometers in space. While the sun of the model is visible from the Laajalahti pier, trees have grown so much in the intervening 30 years since the model was built that it is no longer visible from the Uranus model itself.