EXPLORE


JOINRENEWJOIN

Get Your 2009 Year in Space Calendar!
  

For Kids: Activities

Solar System Model

Demonstrating the Distances Between The Planets

Because distances between the planets are so great compared to the sizes of the individual planets, it is difficult to create an exact scale model of our solar system. So, in this model we will only focus on the distance between the planets, assuming that the Sun is a tiny ball 0.85 centimeters (1/3 inch) in diameter. Just for comparison, on this scale, the Earth would be 0.0078 centimeters (0.0031 inches) in diameter.

Materials:

  • Ten pieces of paper
  • crayons
  • pen
  • ruler
  • A large room, hallway, or an area outside.

Procedure:

  1. On a piece of paper, measure and draw a circle with a diameter of 1/3 of an inch (0.85 centimeters). Color the circle yellow and label this paper "The Sun."
  2. On the remaining paper, create signs for each planet: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. If you like, color the signs to match the planets they represent.
  3. Take the signs outside, or whereever you are going to create your solar system. You will need a large area for your solar system, one where you can walk 100 steps.
  4. Start your solar system by locating where the "Sun" will be. Have one person hold the sign and remain in that spot.
  5. Then, follow the chart below. Take one step away from the Sun. This represents the position of Mercury. Leave a "Mercury" person at this point and take another step. This position represents Venus. Leave a "Venus" person behind and continue with the chart below.
  6. Pluto is 100 steps from the Sun, which is quite a distance away.
  7. When all the planets are in place, look over the solar system and see if there are any patterns.
    Planet Steps From
    the Sun

    Mercury

    		 1 step
    Venus 2 steps
    Earth 2.5 steps
    Mars 4 steps
    Jupiter 13 steps
    Saturn 24 steps
    Uranus 49 Steps
    Neptune 76 steps
    Pluto 100 steps

The four inner planets are grouped very close to the Sun. These planets are all fairly small, with rocky, cratered surfaces. Most have evidence of volanic activity. They have few, if any moons and no rings.

Then, after a large gap, you find the four gas giants planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) spread out over large distances. The gas giants are all very big, they have no surface to speak of, several moons and a variety of ring systems.

Then, you have Pluto, way out all by itself. This tiny planet has never been visited by a spacecraft, so we really don't know what conditions are like on its surface - other than very cold. We don't really know what it is made of either. There is even a question about whether it is a planet or a Kuiper Belt object.

The distances in this activity represent each planet's average distance from the Sun.
There is a period of 20 years where Pluto's egg-shaped orbit brings it closer than Neptune. The last time this happened was between 1979-1999.