Q&A for How to Make a Solar System Model

The tricky thing with solar system models is showing the huge differences in sizes and distances realistically. You have to decide if you want to focus on planet sizes relative to each other, or the distances between them. It's really hard to nail both in one small model. My advice would be to first pick a unit of measurement as your scale baseline. For distances, use the Earth-Sun distance as the unit. For sizes, start with a small planet like Mercury as the unit, then scale up from there. Remember the differences get extreme fast when you scale up, so stick clearly to the scale you set. It's all about choosing a consistent scale and units to work from in order to get those proportions right.

Mercury is grey, Venus is a pale yellow-white, Earth is blue and green, Mars is red-orange, Jupiter has bands of brown and white with the Great Red Spot, Saturn has bands of white and yellow, Uranus is a featureless blue-green, and Neptune is dark blue with occasional white clouds. Look up pictures of them on the internet for more detail.

You could use a CD and cut it and/or paint it to size. You can also use card stock.

Jupiter has strips of red, white, orange,and yellow, with a big red dot for the storm.

You can make the model on any table or flat work surface. As long as you have enough space and stability, you'll be fine.

Make another clay planet about 3/4 the size of the one used for Mercury. Paint it gray, with some darker grey patches for the "seas". Hang it next to Earth.

In a hobby, craft or hardware store in your area, or ordered online.

You can make this with clay because it has colors or you can put food coloring onto it.

You can get them from a local art or craft/hobby store.

Pluto is off white and brown. Make the brown in splotches; try doing it with a sponge.

Gather 9 balls the size for the planets and the sun, and paint them the correct color. The planets in order: Sun - orange with yellow splotches, Mercury - brownish with gray spots, Venus - Yellowish with light brown spots, Earth - blue with green continents, Mars - red, Jupiter - yellow with brown and white "rings" (include the Great Red Spot), Saturn - yellowish green (include the great white spot), Uranus - bluish green and Neptune - blue (include the ice spot). Once you have done that, use dowels in different sizes and stick each planet about halfway. Mercury should have the shortest dowel, while Neptune should have the longest.

Venus. Even though it is farther from the Sun than Mercury is, Venus's atmosphere causes it to retain heat, while Mercury's much thinner atmosphere does not retain heat.

No. Our Moon revolves around the Earth. The planets in our solar system (such as the Earth) revolve around the Sun.

Medium-to-dark gray.

Saturn is a pale yellow-gray.

Yes. Play-doh will help as it will become solid enough, and it'll fit the theme for terrestrial planets.