1. Building a Scale Model of the Solar System (and Beyond)
Lesson 11
(Thank you to Mr. Burgard for sharing.)

2. Be sure you have all the materials and that they are in good shape.
Bouncy balls
Be sure you have all the materials
and that they are in good shape.
Buttons
Fishing
Bobbers
Lentils or Split Peas
Blue Marbles
Wood Beads
Ping Pong Balls
Paper Sun
Candy
Let Mr. Abe know right away
if you are missing anything
or if anything is not in good shape.
White Beads

3. Procedure
Determine which of the objects should represent each planet – keeping in mind size comparison for each planet.
Record your choices on your data table.
= ?

4. Procedure
Decide how far apart the objects would be if they really represented the scaled objects in the solar system.
Measure distances (cm) from the Sun to each planet.
Record your data in the data table.
Explain your reasoning.
Be prepared to present and defend your decisions to the class.

5. Discuss your thinking…
What influenced your decisions about planet sizes and order?
What influenced your decisions about distance?

6. Best Answers (According to Your Book)
Mercury – Lentil/Split Pea
Venus – Blue Marble
Earth - Blue Marble
Mars – Candy
Jupiter – Bouncy/Racquet Ball
Saturn – Red and White Bobber
Uranus - White Bead
Neptune - White Bead
DO NOT CHANGE YOUR ANSWERS!

7. DISTANCE NOT TO SCALE!!!!!

8. How’d you do size-wise?
If you had the first 4 as smaller objects (Mercury as the smallest) and the second 4 as larger objects (Jupiter as the largest) you were on track.
This is typical because we see planets to scale on posters, in books and in diagrams.
Here are a few to scale models that compare the planets (and some stars) side by side.

9. Terrestrial (Inner) Planets

10. And the Jovian (Outer) Planets

11. The Sun is huge!

12. The Sun is tiny!

13. The Sun is SUPER tiny!!!

14. How’d you do distance-wise?
Thoughts or questions from the Solar System walk?
Why were you so far off with your model?
1 AU = the average distance from the Earth to the Sun (A little less than 1,500,000 km)

15. Scale of the Average Distance of the Planets to the Sun:
to the Sun (AU)
to the Sun (cm)
Mercury
0.39
Venus
0.72
Earth
1.00
Mars
1.52
Jupiter
5.20
Saturn
9.54
Uranus
19.18
Neptune
30.06
Pluto
39.53

16. If the Earth were the size of a peppercorn . . .
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto

17. The Solar system also includes…
The Kuiper Belt

18. Kuiper belt Kuiper belt Kuiper belt
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Kuiper belt
Kuiper belt
Neptune
Pluto

19. And is surrounded by…..
the Oort Cloud

20. If the Earth were the size of a peppercorn . . .
Oort Cloud
(1280 miles)

21. Closest Star

22. Distance (Light-years) 1 light year is about 5.5 trillion miles.
Destination
Distance (Light-years)
Time
At light Speed
Proxima Centauri
4.2 light years
4.2 years
Andromeda Galaxy
2,200,000
2,200,000 years
1 light year is about 5.5 trillion miles.

23. If the Earth were the size of a peppercorn . . .
Oort Cloud
(1280 miles)
If the Earth were the size of a peppercorn . . .
Closest Star
(3700 miles)

24. Our Solar System is a subsystem of…
The Milky Way Galaxy

25. Clever.

26. The Milky Way

27. Distance (Light-years) 1 light year is about 5.5 trillion miles.
Destination
Distance (Light-years)
Time
At light Speed
Proxima Centauri
4.2 light years
4.2 years
Center of Milky Way
38,000 light years
38,000 years
Andromeda Galaxy
2,200,000
2,200,000 years
1 light year is about 5.5 trillion miles.

28. Closest Galaxy

29. Distance (Light-years) 1 light year is about 5.5 trillion miles.
Destination
Distance (Light-years)
Time
At light Speed
Proxima Centauri
4.2
4.2 years
Center of Milky Way
38,000
38,000 years
Andromeda Galaxy
2,200,000 light years
2,200,000 years
1 light year is about 5.5 trillion miles.

30. How to find the Andromeda Galaxy

31. A Small Slice of our Universe
The Hubble
Deep Field View
(About 1/24 millionth of the sky which is equivalent in angular size to a 65 mm tennis ball at a distance of 100 meters.)

32. Feel Small?

33. (We are.)

34. Planet Sizes for the demo today
Our scale: 1 inch = 60,000 Km (100,000 mi)
Mercury – .03 inches (1 mm)
Venus – .08 inches (2 mm)
Earth inches (2 mm)
Mars – .04 inches (1 mm)
Jupiter – .9 inches (2 cm)
Saturn – .7 inches (1.7 cm)
Uranus - .3 inches (.7 cm)
Neptune - .3 inches (.7 cm)

35. Planet Distances for the demo today
Our scale: 1 inch = 60,000 Km (100,000 mi)
Mercury – 360 in (30 ft)
Venus – 684 in (57 ft)
Earth in (77 ft)
Mars – 1440 in (120 ft)
Jupiter – 4, 860 in (405 ft.)
Saturn – 8, 892 inches (741 ft)
Uranus – 17, 856 inches (1488 ft) ~ ¼ mile
Neptune - 27, 972 inches (2331 ft) ~ ½ mile

36. Some other galaxies: