Project: Build a Scale Model of the Solar System
At first glance, this project seems very straightforward, but it's actually not. As you will learn through exploring the materials in this unit, the distances between objects in our Solar System are so great that it is very difficult to build a model that uses the same scale for both the relative sizes of the planets and the relative distance between them. When astronomers and artists create scale models of the solar system, they often choose to scale either relative size OR relative distance, or they may choose to use different scales for each. Yet even that solution brings challenges. The Sun is so much larger than the planets that it is difficult to fit it into a model while keeping relative sizes in tact. One of your goals in this project will be to decide what scale you will use, how you will use it, and when you will deviate from it.
Your second goal in this project is to think about how to portray the Solar System in a way that is meaningful to you personally and communicates something to others. For example, you could focus on creating a hanging model that portrays the planets' physical characteristics. Or you might be interested in building a model that shows the planets' rotation around the Sun. Perhaps you wish to incorporate aspects of the planets into abstract art or focus less on the planets themselves and more on giving people a sense of the relative distances between them. All of these approaches are wonderful, and there an infinite number of others, limited only by your imagination. What fascinates or inspires you about the Solar System, and how will you share that wonder with others?
In order to help you get started, in the next section we will investigate the relative sizes and distances between the planets.
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