String Art Planet Motion Astronomy Simulator Venus & Mars

Colorful string art can aide you with astronomical viewing of the planets all year long, and for years to come. Know if a planet is in the morning sky or evening sky (or not visible at all) at a glance. Where is mars? Venus? Get your string, needle and a styrofoam board- we're going to make some spirograph planetary art!C

I took inspiration from http://engaging-data.com/planetary-spirograph/ and the beauty of the animations/simulations. Maybe you want to head there first too? (and make a donation) It will inspire the math lover inside you too. Go STEM or STEAM!

While not a difficult project, it does require that the pattern be followed to be useful as an astronomy aid. Users should probably have finished at least one other string art project before trying this one.

Supplies

String- 15 meters for a 10 inch circle (Range is 8-15 depending on the year); one color per year

Needle, scissors, tape

Styrofoam board (black or white recommended)

optional- push pin for making initial holes, "planet" and sun pins

Cost should be less than $10

Step 1: Holes for String + First Year String

Using the template, print earth and the planet. For use as an astronomy aide, be sure to scale print. In the picture, Venus is scaled ".723" since it's distance from the sun is .723 what earth is.

Line up the centers, and pin to the center of the styrofoam board. At the edge of the template protractor circle, poke a hole for each line. The hole should be just barely big enough for the string to pass through.
In the case of earth, each hole represents one week of travel around the sun. In the case of the planets, it is proportional to one earth week. Venus travels more than one orbit in 52 weeks/holes, while Mars doesn't get all the way around in 52 weeks and needs more holes to complete the orbit.
Picture shows a "rough sized" board which will be trimmed exactly later.

Choosing the colors of string is important. The "first" string will be on the bottom so keep in mind the color combinations.

The "top" is designed to be the earth's position in winter. Pull the string through the top hole earth and scotch tape securely to the back. Go back "down" in the position marked on the template. Or use the simulator a http://engaging-data.com/planetary-spirograph/ to find the planet position. Come back up one week/hole earlier (counterclockwise) and connect string to one week/hole earlier. Continue pattern. Relaxing and mesmerizing. It is not necessary to have all 15 m of string on the needle at the beginning. Generally,

Note- It is best to create "backwards" from 2025, meaning that the lines are added counterclockwise on the inner and outer circles. In this way the most distant future string will be on the bottom. It's not "wrong" to build clockwise, but it isn't as accurate as an astronomy aid. This is the recommend way to assemble because it is possible to remove "used" years without disturbing the layers below. While building a one year model is useful for astronomy planet location, it doesn't really showcase the exquisite spirographic pattern. A minimum of two years is recommended.

Step 2: Repeat for Additional Years

Change color string for each year and keep going. Isn't the pattern satisfying? Art and math working together. STEAM or STEM.

Step 3: Display and Enjoy

Trim foamboard to size. Add season labels (optional).

Optional- Use a pin to indicate earth, planet and sun position.

Because of the light weight, it is easy to hang on the wall. Optional- tape different strings to the back so the piece will rotate with the weeks/seasons.

It's also just as easy to display on a shelf or bookcase rolling along each week through the seasons. Once a year, remove the "old" strings.

Reference tables or apps make it possible to track a planet position down to the minute by your location. (simple web search) These maps make it easy to know where to look for beginners. Everything looks like a star in the night sky without noticing the patterns of "wandering" planets. Keep trying.

At publishing time (March 2021), it is easy to see that Venus isn't easily visible because it is directly behind the sun. The string shows this clearly passing through the middle of the circle. This also shows that it is at its brightest because the most light will be reflecting back towards earth.
When the string is to the "right" of the center/sun, it is visible at sunset. When the string is to the "left" of the sun, is visible at sunrise. The angles also offer a hint about how long the planet might stay in view.

As an astronomy tool it is possible to generally guess magnitude (brightness), rising, setting, transit, etc. for the planets. Pretty good for string art! Reading about planets is fascinating and I hope this project will inspire users to look up more often. Good luck. Post your pictures!