Introduction: Solar System Dimensions

By Pakciencia

This small project aims to demonstrate the dimension of the main bodies of the Solar System.

You can do this with your children and with your students at school, a cheap, simple project with a strong visual impact in terms of dimensions.

Step 1: Materials

You will need:

  • 24 A4 sheets
  • Scissors
  • Painter's tape
  • Pencil
  • String
  • Measuring tape
  • Planetas.pdf - the file that have the scale size of the planets

Attachments

Step 2: Start Build the Sun

Make a rectangle with the 24 sheets, placing 4 sheets horizontally and 6 sheets vertically.

Step 3: Tape All the Sheets

Using the painter's tape, glue all the sheets together.

Step 4: Make the Center and Draw a Circle

Using the measuring tape, mark the center of the rectangle. Tie the thread to the pencil and then measure 55 cm of thread to be the radius of the circle. Glue the end of the wire to the center using the painter's tape. Stretch the wire and draw the circle.

Step 5: Cut the Circle

Now cut the circle and then turn it over.

Step 6: Cut the Planets

  • Now print the planetas.pdf
  • Cut them
  • Glue them

Step 7: Final

Now we have a scale of sizes of the planets and the Sun of our Solar System.

Information about the scale:

I have considered the diameter or Earth = 1cm

Sun: 110,00cm

Mercury: 0,38cm

Venus: 0,95cm

Earth: 1,00cm

Mars: 0,50cm

Jupiter: 11,21cm

Saturn: 9,44cm (without the ring system)

Uranus: 4,00cm

Neptune:3,88cm

Fun facts:

  • The Sun represents more than 99.86% of the total mass of the Solar System

  • Our Sun is one of the smallest stars in the Universe