"Solar System Scavenger Hunt"
The Sun photographed as a fiery orb of mottled bright color.

The Earth is a large, round ball. It just looks flat because you can only see a tiny part of it at one time. The Sun and the planets are also round because when they formed, gravity  pulled all their parts as close to their centers as possible.

Circles of various sizes, laid over one another, smallest in front, representing the relative planetary sizes, with Earth and Jupiter identified.

Though they're all round, planets are NOT all the same size. Mercury  would be as big as an orange, and Jupiter would be the size of a small car.

To size up the planets for yourself, create a scale model of the solar system using objects from around your home!

Create a Scale Model of the Solar System

What if you could shrink the planets so they fit on a kitchen table in front of you? The table below shows how big they would be.

Use the chart below to make a scale model of the solar system. A scale model is a smaller or larger version of something. It lets you compare the sizes of objects you can't see up close, or that are too far apart to see together.

A graphic of round-shaped household items, such as an apple, a baseball, and a basketball aligned to represent the relative planetary sizes.

Start Hunting!

Look for objects around your home that fit the scaled-down sizes of the planets and the Sun. All you need is a ruler and your imagination!

Hint: Hunt all around the house: in the kitchen, the tool closet, the storage room. You can use anything from peppercorns to fruit to a basketball. Remember, everything should be round like the planets.

Planet Scale Model in Inches
Mercury 5/16
Venus 3/4
Earth 13/16
Mars 7/16
Jupiter 9
Saturn 7 1/2
Uranus 3 3/16
Neptune 3 1/8
Sun 87

Arrange your model!

Colorful graphic of a rocket ship in flight with propulsion gases being expelled from the rear of the craft.

Can you put your "planets" in order by size? How about by distance from the sun? 

Colorful graphic of a rocket ship in flight with propulsion gases being expelled from the rear of the craft.

Test your knowledge of the planets using your scale model. 

Colorful graphic of a rocket ship in flight with propulsion gases being expelled from the rear of the craft.

See if your friends can pick out "Earth" from your collection!

Image credits

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Image Credits:

Illustrations: Eric Hamilton