Solar System Model

Home , Solar System model

8 Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago WEEK      MATERIALS Try toimaginethesizeofsolarsystemwiththisfungame eight monthsforaspacecrafttoreachMars The distancesbetweenplanetsinoursolarsystemaresofarthey’rehardtoimagine EXPERIMENT: SOLARSYSTEM SCALE MODEL ANDJETPACK FAR, FAR AWAY

Modeling clayorPlay-Doh(optional) Crepe streamer(red Hot gluegun Scissors Tape measure 165 yearstogoaroundjustonce I wasdiscovered—ittakesmealmost I’ve onlyorbitedthesuntwicesince and I’mverydark I’m thefarthestplanetfromsun NEPTUNE

   , , orangeoryellow) coldandblustery

Stapler Craft sticks Tape

! . ,

, whichis78millionkilometers(or50miles)fromEarth    

Silver spraypaintoraluminumfoil Planet markers(msichicago Two two-literbottles Markers orcrayons Attach strapshere bottles aredry inches foil bottles andspraypaintthemsilverorcoverin solar system Assemble yourjetpacksoyoucanflyacrossthe INSTRUCTIONS . Cut acardboardrectanglethat’sabout6by10 Crepe streamers plastic bottles Two-liter rectangle Cardboard , orbigenoughtoholdthebottles . :

Remove thelabelsfromtwotwo-liter

usehotgluetoattachthemthe

.   org/summerbrain)

Cardboard Wide ribbonorstraps . It takesabout . When the . Earth to reacheach planet 20 Earth how muchfuelyou’llneed toreacheachplanetstartingfrom some fuelbundlesintothe openendofyourjetpack stop atEarthtorefuelanddropofftheplanetmarkers Strap onyourjetpack GAME ON feet (10inches)fromMercury For Venus measure 1footfromthesunandplacemarker forMercury inches Use thesenumberswithanyunitofmeasurement—steps show theimmensesizeofsolarsystem dwarf planet) to makeasolarsystemmodelscale markers andattachthemtocraftstickslikeflags Print anddecoratetheplanetmarkertemplates pieces ofstreamerinabundle end withtape that areaboutafootlongandsecurethemtogetheratone Prepare yourfuelcells ends opensoyoucantiethestrapsoncejetpackison the topandbottomofbothsidescardboard cardboard sideby Pluto Neptune Uranus Saturn Jupiter Mars Earth Venus Mercury Sun Celestial Body Planet/ , Neptune40 . : Mercury1 , Add morefuel asneededsoyoucan visit alltheplanets feet

, measure1 , sidewalksquares . , butit’sagoodreferencepointbecauseithelps Cut theminhalflengthwisesothereare20 . , Tear offthepropernumber offuelstreamers Venus1/2 . , 8 feet(or22inches)fromthesunor0 collecttheplanet markerandstopoff at . From theSun Distance Explorationtakesfuel . . Make thestrapsbystaplingribbonto Cut thecrepestreamerinto10pieces 100 , 48 13 24 76 Mars1 2 3 1 1 0 . . . . 0 . 8 . 5 9 . . 2 5 . 1 1 . 0 , etc . Earth is2

Make eightbundles , . Jupiter5 If yourunitisafoot Planet/Celestial Body Distance toNext . Pluto isn’taplanet(it's . 5 feetfromthesun . , Saturn10 , soyou’llneedto 23 24 27 10 0 0 9 1 1 ––– ...... 0 4 3 . . 8 . 7 . Cut outthe 9 6 4 9 . . Use thechart . Leave the . Here’s

, Uranus . ,

, Load

. . . 8 . . Omnimax Theater as bigthedomeon For comparison Sun? “ “ READING RECOMMENDED scaled insizetoeachother shows picturesoftheplanets Henry CrownSpaceCenter The hallwayleadingtoMSI’s SOLAR SYSTEM PLAY WITHTHE MORE WAYS TO stand uprightontheground base ofmodelingclaysoitcan Put eachplanetmarkerintoa TIPS orbit thesun take thousandsofyearsto from theOortCloudmight It’s sofarawaythatacomet spherical shelloficyobjects system istheOortCloud the outerlimitofsolar and comets planets likePluto District onbehalf ofthecitizensChicago. acknowledges the supportoftheChicagoPark The MuseumofScienceandIndustry gratefully 140 moons sun Our solarsystemincludesthe WHAT’S HAPPENING? How ManyPlanetsCirclethe Get Started , eightplanets ” byMaryKayCarson , severaldwarf . Scientists believe . : AstronomybyDK , thesunis ! , asteroids , morethan

. .

” 8 Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago WEEK 8 Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago WEEK      MATERIALS Try toimaginethesizeofsolarsystemwiththisfungame eight monthsforaspacecrafttoreachMars The distancesbetweenplanetsinoursolarsystemaresofarthey’rehardtoimagine EXPERIMENT: SOLARSYSTEM SCALE MODEL ANDJETPACK FAR, FAR AWAY