Basic Information

Making a Solar System Model for the Classroom
and
Making a Solar System Walk

Facts about the Solar System are taught in every elementary school across America.
If you, as a teacher or aid would like to make artwork for the Solar System to scale,
you can use (Download) the following Excel worksheet for calculating the
sizes and distances for the Sun and Planets.

Download this file and open in Excel EXCEL SPREADSHEET CALCULATOR FOR OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

SPECIAL NOTE: If you decide to make a Solar System to scale, that is,
both in spacing (distance between Sun/Planets) and size of Planets, the Planets will almost
always be two small to see. I would suggest making the Planets to
scale with the Earth having a diameter between 1 and 2 inches and displaying all of them
on a cork board. However, if you want to do an accurate
scale of the Solar System in length, I would suggest using the longest hall
you have in the school. The children can then walk the length and
see how small the Planets are in comparison to the radius of our system.
This will also give them a very good idea of the spacing of the Planets.
They will see the the first 4 Planets are very close to the Sun in comparison to the outer Gas Giants.

Here is a PDF coloring sheet showing the correct sizes of the Planets in relationship
to one another. Feel free to copy and use it for classroom activities.

Solar System Walks

Solar System walks have become popular with schools and other special events.
They can be permanent or temporary. For the past few years,
I have set up a 2,000 foot long Solar System walk at the
RTMC (Riverside Telescope Making Conference) held near
Big Bear, California during Memorial Day weekend (Use Calculator above to calculate spacing).
This is how I do it. I have made a set of 10 Sun & Planet "signs" that I tape to various fences and trees,
at the correct spacing, to make up the Solar System. Each sign is an
11x17 inch sheet of paper with facts about the Sun or Planet.
These tabloid-sized sheets of paper are laminated for protection and are clipped
to boards cut to the same size. They are attached to broom
handles that I then tape to a fence or tree with clear packing tape.
I show the sizes of the Sun & Planets to scale for the 2,000 feet radius Solar System
but I have other pictures and facts on the 11x17 inch sheet of paper.
Click here to see my Solar System Walk info sheets (PDF).
I also give two Guided-Tour Walks of the Solar System which
are generally attended by parents and their kids.
My 2,000 feet is not in a straight line but weaves through the grounds
of the astronomy event. It is almost a circle.
So, we never go "far" which I think works
best for parents with little ones.

The Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona has a permanent Solar System walk on the path
that leads to the telescope that Clyde Tombaugh used to discover Pluto.

The longest Solar System "walk" in the US extends for 40 miles along
US Route 1 in Maine and begins in Presque Isle.
Visit The Maine Solar System Model for more information.