Jupiter in the Moon’s Orbit: Off the Scale

The conjunction of the apparent diameter of our moon and the sun is like an astonishing, uncanny message left for us by some galactic overlord�a fortuity way, way more amazing than the 1:4:9 ratio of the monoliths in Arthur C. Clarke’s Space Odyssey series.

This video shows us how different the sky would look if things had turned out differently�specifically, if we enjoyed the attentions of a Jupiter-sized planet at the distance of a lunar orbit. In the event, of course, the tidal forces would rend the Earth from crust to core. But it would make for quite the evening vista nonetheless.

The video also is remiscent of Charles and Ray Eames famous short film Powers of Ten, the influential designers’ exploration of “the relative sizes of different things in the universe.” The design site Core77 is hosting a contest for two-minute responses to Powers of Ten. Two days to go�check out the entrants here.

�via io9