If the Moon Were 1 Pixel
A scale map of the solar system where the Moon is a single pixel. Scroll sideways for a very long time and finally feel how empty space is.
What it is
A single, very long web page by Josh Worth, subtitled "a tediously accurate map of the solar system". The scale is set so the Moon is exactly one pixel wide. You start at the Sun and scroll sideways: Mercury, Venus, Earth with a "You Are Here" label, Mars, Jupiter and its moons, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and finally Pluto, with a note that "we still love you". In between are vast stretches of nothing, broken only by the occasional line of commentary.
Why we picked it
Figures like "millions of kilometres" don't mean much to anyone. Scrolling through black screen after black screen on the way to Jupiter does. The project teaches the scale of space through the time you spend getting there, not through numbers. The asides keep you company along the way — how long a spaceship would take to reach Mars, how many films you'd need to fill the trip, and the simple observation that most of space is just space. A counter tracks the distance you've covered, and a light-speed button shows how slow light actually is at this scale. The page has also been translated into a couple of dozen languages.
Where to start
- Open it on a computer and scroll right with your trackpad or mouse wheel.
- Switch on light-speed mode and time how long it takes to reach Mars.
- Slow down at Jupiter and Saturn to spot their labelled moons.
- Go all the way to Pluto at least once — that's the whole point.
- Share it with someone who thinks space posters are drawn to scale.
Who it's for
Kids and grown-ups who love space. Science teachers looking for a five-minute demo that sticks. Anyone who wants a short, oddly calming distraction that leaves them understanding the world a little better.
Quick answers
Is it really to scale? That's the premise: the author calls it "tediously accurate", with the Moon set at one pixel and everything else sized and spaced to match.
Can I read it in other languages? Yes. A language menu at the bottom offers over twenty translations.
Does it work on mobile? It loads, but sideways scrolling is much more comfortable on a desktop.
