How to Make a Solar System Model With Rotating Planets

Obtain an old but functional record player with a working turntable. Neither the needle nor the speakers need to be in working order, only the motor that spins the turntable. Check thrift stores, garage sales and retail websites such as Amazon and Craigslist.

Drill a hole into the center of bottom end of a wood dowel so that the dowel can fit over the metal spindle in the middle of the turntable. Drill a hole in the large Styrofoam ball and glue it on top of the dowel. It will represent the sun.

Drill 4 holes completely through the body of the dowel. Vary the positioning of the holes so that they aren't parallel and don't overlap one another. Insert the wooden sticks of varying lengths fully through the holes so that the weight is balanced and an equal length of each stick protrudes from each side of the dowel.

Drill a shallow hole in each Styrofoam ball, then paint each ball the color of the planet it will represent. For example, Mars should be reddish and the Earth should be blue. Draw on the rings of Saturn after the ball that represents it is painted. After the paint dries, drop a couple of dabs of glue into the drilled holes of the balls representing the planets.

Place the balls on the ends of the sticks, making sure that their locations correspond to the orbiting locations of their planetary counterparts. For example, the balls representing the planets orbiting farthest from the sun, Neptune and Uranus, should be on the longest stick, and the models of Mercury and Venus should be on the shortest stick, because they're closest to the sun. After the glue dries, turn on the record player. The sun will appear to remain stationary in the middle of the system while the planets rotate around it.