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Make a Solar System Model
As a class visit the following website for information about and pictures of the planets in our solar system
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm
The sun is many thousands of times closer to the Earth than any other star. The sun can be seen only in the
daytime, but the moon can be seen at night and sometimes during the day. The sun, moon, and stars all
appear to move slowly across the sky. The Earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun and the moon
orbits around the Earth.
Eight planets of very different size, composition, and surface features move around the sun in nearly
circular orbits. Some planets have a great variety of moons and even flat rings of rock and ice particles
orbiting around them. Some of these planets and moons show evidence of geologic activity. The Earth is
orbited by one moon, many artificial satellites, and debris.
MAKE YOUR OWN MODEL OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM!
Materials:
 Yellow or orange construction paper
 Scissors
 Coloring page
 Colored pencils
Directions:
1. Read about the planets from the information sheet attached to this sheet labeled “Learn About the
Sun and Planets”. This will help you learn about the physical characteristics of each planet (like how
big it is and what its surface is like) and the order of the planets.
2. Look at the coloring page of the eight planets.
3. Based on what you learned about the size and surface of the planets, figure out which planet is
which and then color the planets the right colors.
4. Cut out a large circle from the yellow or orange construction paper to be the sun.
5. Placing the sun down first, lay out the planets in order away from the sun. (Hint: The correct order
that the planets orbit around the Sun is: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune!)
6. To make your model of the solar system more permanent, glue the sun and planets onto a large
piece of cardboard or tag board. You could even paint the board black to make it look like space.
What's Happening?
You just made a model of the solar system! It represents the way the planets are positioned and the
different sizes and colors that each one is. The planets always remain in this order; they can't change
because they all have their own orbit that they constantly follow around the sun! However, this model does
not show you how far apart the planets are from each other. They are so far away that you would not be
able to represent the distance on a single piece of cardboard.
Learn About the Sun and Planets
Did you know that the sun is actually a star? It is the closest star to the Earth, which is why it seems so big
and bright. Compared to some stars though, the sun is really only medium sized! Any star with planets and
other celestial bodies orbiting around it can be called a solar system. The Earth, other planets, their moons,
various stars, comets, and asteroids that revolve around the sun are all part of our solar system. The word
"sol" means sun, so our solar system could be called a sun system. Why is the sun so important? Without
the light, heat, and energy that comes from it, the Earth would be so cold that no living thing would be able
to survive on it! And the sun's gravity keeps the Earth and the rest of the planets moving in their orbits without it, the planets would move randomly through space like comets. Even though our solar system is
huge, it is a very small part of a much larger system called the Milky Way galaxy. Even the whole galaxy is
small compared to what else is out there - there are many galaxies in the universe with many other solar
systems in them!
The Planets A way to remember the order of the planets is the saying: My Very Educated Mother Just
Served Us Noodles. An easy way to help learn about the eight planets is to split them into two groups: the
four small rocky planets and the four giant gas planets.
THE SMALL ROCKY PLANETS
The small rocky planets are also the four inner planets (the ones closest to the sun): Mercury, Venus, Earth,
and Mars. These planets are all made of rock and have a solid surface.
Mercury is the planet closest to the sun, and it is the smallest of the eight planets. Because it is so close to
the sun, from Earth it can only be seen at sunrise in the east and sunset in the west. This makes the planet
seem like it is moving quickly across the night sky and is probably the reason why it got its name - Mercury
is the Roman god of trade, travel, and thievery and was known for his speed. The temperature on Mercury
ranges from 801 ° F on the side facing the sun to -279 ° F on the side facing away from the sun. The lack of
atmosphere on Mercury means that we can see its surface directly, which is gray in color and is covered
with craters.
Venus is the second planet away from the sun and is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. It
probably received this name because it is one of the brightest objects in the night sky, second only to our
moon! Venus has often been referred to as Earth's sister planet because they are similar in size (Earth is
slightly larger), density, and gravity. Venus also has active volcanoes and earthquakes, but here the
similarities end. The atmosphere on Venus is made out of sulfuric acid, a poisonous gas, and causes the
planet to retain heat very well - the temperature stays constant at about 864 ° F! The thick clouds of Venus
gives it a pale yellow color, but beneath the clouds, it appears that the surface is red and yellow.
Earth is the third planet from the sun and is the only planet that was not named after a Roman deity. The
largest of the inner planets, it has often been called the "Big Blue Marble" because its surface is covered
with over 70% water. The atmosphere and swirling clouds over the white, brown, and green colors of the
land and the blue of the oceans makes for a kaleidoscope of colors when viewed from space. Earth is also
referred to as the "Goldilocks" planet because it has all the ingredients in just the right amount to sustain
life - water, oxygen, and a comfortable temperature range.
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and is the second smallest planet. It is named after the Roman god
of war and probably received this name because it shines red in the sky. Up close, the surface of Mars is
bright reddish brown with dark patches of gray in the volcanic regions. Because of its red color, Mars is
often nicknamed "The Red Planet."
THE GIANT GAS PLANETS
There are four outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These planets are often called the gas
giants. Unlike Earth, they do not have a solid surface, but rather are made mostly of helium and hydrogen
with a small, rocky core in the center. The giant gas planets all have ring systems and numerous moons.
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun and is named after the king of the Roman gods. This is a very fitting
name since it is the largest planet in our solar system. The gases and clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere make
colorful orange, white, red, and yellow bands on the planet. Its most famous feature is the Great Red Spot
which is a giant storm similar to a hurricane on Earth. This storm is so large that 2-3 Earths could fit inside
of it.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and is the second largest planet in our solar system. Saturn is named
after the Roman god of agriculture (farming). Even though Saturn is so large, it doesn't weigh very much. In
fact, it is less dense than water, meaning it would float on water. The most famous feature of Saturn is its
beautiful rings. The rings are made of billions of chunks of ice and rock, though from Earth they look solid.
The overall color of Saturn is yellowish, but its storms cause faint bands of color to appear in its
atmosphere.
Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun and is the third largest planet in the solar system. Unlike the first
six planets which were known to ancient civilizations, Uranus was not discovered until 1781. Uranus was
named after the ancient Greek god of the heavens. Its atmosphere has small amounts of methane in it,
giving it a solid blue-green color and a less exciting surface compared with the other planets. But unlike
them, Uranus is tilted so much that it actually spins on its side as it orbits the sun.
Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the sun and is the fourth largest planet in the solar
system. Neptune was discovered in 1846 and named after the Roman god of the sea. It also has methane
gas in its atmosphere, but it is deep blue in color with visible clouds. A Great Dark Spot was discovered on
Neptune, indicating that it has an active atmosphere.
Pluto
On August 24, 2006, Pluto was officially demoted to a dwarf planet. Why, after 76 years, did Pluto lose its
status as a true planet? Well, compared with the other planets, Pluto the most unusual orbit. Sometimes it
is far above the rest of the planets and at other times it is far below. Its orbit even passes in front of
Neptune for a short time, the only planet in the solar system to cross another planet's orbit. It is not made of
rock or gases like the other eight planets, but instead is mostly made up of different kinds of ice. In 1992,
small icy bodies like Pluto were discovered orbiting in Pluto's orbit. These small icy bodies are comets
orbiting the solar system and are known as the Kuiper belt. Pluto is one of the largest of these, so it was
discovered first. Pluto has more in common with these icy bodies than it does with any of the other planets,
so many (but not all) scientists agree that Pluto is not a true planet.
Adapted in part from © 2013 Home Training Tools, Ltd.