Download Scale of the Solar System

TEACHER
RESOURCE
PLANETARIUM
STARDOME OBSERVATORYVI&TIES ON...
TI
FACTS, RESOURCES AND AC
E
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t it is difficult for us
Space is vast. So vast, tha
d. We can put numbers
hen
pre
humans to even com
tances of things in Space
on different sizes and dis
alise the scale better,
and this does help to visu
(the width the Sun
84;
but numbers like 1,392,6
0 (the number of
,40
671
70,
2,8
in kilometres) or
far
Sun and Uranus) are so
kilometres between our
ay
ryd
eve
in
ter
oun
enc
gs we
beyond the scale of thin
of.
icult to make sense
life that they are still diff
we
alise the scale of Space,
To make it easier to visu
we
t
tha
so
bit
a
n
dow
are going to shrink things
r numbers representing
end up dealing with smalle
we can identify. We will
distances and sizes that
n a lot to do this. We are
have to shrink things dow
Solar System five billion
going to have to make our
times smaller!
Using this scale, an average
human would be the size of
an atom and the Moon would
be less than 1mm across and
about 7.5cm from Earth!
a
tiny turns our Sun from
Making space this teenylion
mil
f
hal
a
ost one and
giant ball of hot gas, alm
a tiny ball of hot gas
into
ter,
me
dia
in
s
kilometre
the length of a typical
out
just 28cm in diameter. Ab
the largest planet in our
classroom ruler. Meanwhile
s shrunk down to a mere
Solar System, Jupiter get
of
s in our Solar System are
2.8cm! The other planet
(not
cm
2.3
to
s
ink
shr
urn
course, even smaller: Sat
h
Uranus and Neptune bot
counting its rings) while
l.
stil
r
alle
sm
are
s,
ky planet
shrink to just 1cm. The roc
Mars
h,
eac
oss
acr
mm
2.5
e just
Earth and Venus becom
rcury just 1mm; about the
Me
tiny
and
,
oss
acr
m
1.3m
end of this sentence.
size of the full stop at the
Solar system planets size comparison. Largest to smallest are pictured left to right,
top to bottom: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Lsmpascal
the
though is how far apart
What is really surprising
ry and
rcu
Me
1mm
our
en
we
bet
planets are. The distance
5m
22.
r 11.5 metres! There is
our 28cm Sun is just ove
and
us, 30m between the Sun
Ven
and
between the Sun
se
the
But
rs.
Ma
and
en the Sun
Earth, and 45.5m betwe
ed
par
com
Sun
the
to
se
clo
y
four rocky planets are ver
or
or Saturn at 287m away,
to Jupiter at 155m away,
ay!
aw
m
Neptune at 900
Uranus at 574m away, or
at
s of our Solar System. Wh
But that is just the planet
and
ri
tau
It is named Alpha Cen
about the nearest star?
ated
loc
is
It
er.
oth
orbiting each
is actually a pair of stars
n
dow
en
unk
shr
our
and in
outside the Solar System
about 8000km away!
d
ate
loc
are
y
the
se,
univer
Check out these other resources...
If the Moon were only a pixel – http://www.joshworth.
com/dev/pixelspace/pixelspace_solarsystem.html
BBC – How big is Space – http://www.bbc.com/future/
bespoke/20140304-how-big-is-space-interactive/index.html
S
DISCUSSION POINT
SCIENCE
CONTENT/ K
LIN
CURRICULUM
THE
INVESTIGATE
S OF THE
NT
NE
PO
M
CO
,
SOLAR SYSTEM
AN
DEVELOPING
OF
APPRECIATION
THE DISTANCE .
EM
BETWEEN TH
Why do
In this exercise
ercury
M
gh
ou
th
en
all the
Ev
we’ve used km as is the closest to the pla
nets
a measurement.
it’s not the
n,
Su
orb
it
the
Astronauts and
hottest. Exploressw.hy
Su
n?
use
ts
cla
tis
scien
this is as a
Astronomical Units.
Why is this?
STARDOME.ORG.NZ
09 624 1246
ACTIVITY
PLANETARIUM
STARDOME OBSERVATORY &
E
H
T
G
N
I
K
N
SHRI SYSTEM
SOLAR
this resource,
Using the figures given in
n and planets.
create a model of the Su
ate Solar System
In teams, the class can cre
pier-mâché, or with
models, either out of pa
that match the
items from the classroom
Think about marbles,
reduced measurements.
craft supplies. They
drawing pins, rubbers or
correctly but can
may not match the shape
the different sizes
still provide context for
of the planets.
e, and with a tape
Take items/model outsid
dents at the
measure space out the stu
m the Sun. It
shrunk down distances fro
s on a school field,
might be good to do thi
has distances marked
particularly if it already
for sports activities.
google maps or
If you run out of room, use
ms to locate familiar
a similar mapping progra
the correct distance
local places which are at
r dairy, child’s house,
from your Sun (e.g. corne
ile you won’t be able
the motorway etc.). Wh
locations, hopefully
to send a child to these
gh that the student
they will be familiar enou
Translating the
can visualise the distance.
s micro-level makes
size and distances to thi
w immense Space
it easier to understand ho
planets are in size.
is and how different the
y notice about
Ask the students what the
ky planets (Mercury,
the planet sizes. The roc
are much smaller
Venus, Earth and Mars)
k them to identify
than the gas planets. As
hottest and which
which planets would be
also a good
would be coolest. This is
asurements
opportunity to discuss me
nomical Unit?
in Space. What is an Astro
the same
Why don’t astronauts use
have on Earth?
measurement system we
activity and
Take a photo of youlor ve
to see it!
’d
e
W
.
us
to
it
d
sen
.nz
[email protected]
Planet
Adjusted
diameter
Average distance
from the Sun
Sun
28cm
Mercury
1mm
11.5m
Venus
2.5mm
22.5m
Earth
2.5mm
30m
Mars
1.3mm
45.5m
Jupiter
2.8cm
155m
Saturn
2.3cm
287m
Uranus
1cm
574m
Neptune
1cm
900m
An added extra if the class has been studying
Pluto and New Horizons…
Pluto
0.5mm
1182m
STARDOME.ORG.NZ
09 624 1246