Home >> Science & Nature >> Astronomy

How to Make a Scale Model of Our Solar System Using Household Items

Making a scale model of the universe can be an eye-opening experience. We all know that the sun is enormous, the vacuum of space is unfathomably huge and Neptune is really far away. But what does this actually mean? If space truly is unfathomable, how can we fathom it? By using household items to make a scale model, the solar system assumes human proportions, and its vastness can be more easily understood. Consider yourself forewarned: you're going to need a lot of space.

Things You'll Need

Calculator
Tape measurer
Graph paper/electronic database

Instructions

- 1
  
  Deciding upon a scale is your first step.
  
  Set your scale. If your sun is 8 inches in diameter, for example, the earth will be .07 inches in diameter.
- 2
  
  Doing the math is essential in laying out a scale model.
  
  Do the math. Use a calculator to figure how large each of your planets will be, and how far apart they'll be from one another. For the non-mathematically inclined, Exploratorium has an online calculator (see Resources) to help.
- 3
  
  Getting all of your measurements in one place is essential.
  
  Make a table of your measurements. Write your distance and size calculations on a handmade chart on computer-generated database. This way, you'll have one easy reference for your solar system.
- 4
  
  A basketball makes a good sun.
  
  Find your objects. The size of your objects will depend upon the scale you've chosen. If you're using the 1 to 1 billion scale, your sun will be around the size of a fridge without a freezer, and earth will be about the size of a basketball. If your sun is a basketball, Mercury will be a pinhead and the earth a peppercorn.
- 5
  
  You'll need a fair amount of space, even for a scale model.
  
  Find an open space. Even if your sun in an inch in diameter, Pluto is going to be 354 feet away---that's more than the length of a football field.
- 6
  
  Spacing everything out is your last step.
  
  With your tape measure, space out your scale model of the solar system and lay down your planets. Remember that each planet has its unique orbit; everything need not line up perfectly.Tie colored ribbon to your smaller planets. A pinhead gets lost quickly in a 100-yard field.

Astronomy