Get Outside!

Experience the Scale of the Solar System

Get active while experiencing a first-hand the scale of the solar system. You will be creating markers to represent the sun and the planets, then hiking through a model solar system. The scale of your solar system will be 1 inch = ½ mile.

Activity 1 - Long Solar System Hike

Supplies needed: 9 landscaping flags or popsicle sticks. Use a marker to label each flag with a planet name and its size. If using popsicle sticks, cut out 9 3-inch circles of heavy paper or cardstock, label these with a planet name and its relative size. The 9^th flag/stick with paper circle is for the sun. Alternatively, if you will be walking on a sidewalk, you can use sidewalk chalk in place of flags/popsicle-stick markers. You will also need a phone or smartwatch with GPS that can tell you how far you have walked.

Where to go: Find a trail or stretch of sidewalk that goes in a relatively straight line for about 1.5 miles.

Directions: Prepare your flags/stick markers or grab your sidewalk chalk and a copy of the chart below. Then take these supplies to the trail or stretch of sidewalk that you have chosen. Choose a starting point, and plant the marker for the sun (or use sidewalk chalk to draw the sun and its relative size). Then begin your hike. After walking 105 ft., plant your marker for Mercury (or label it with chalk). Walk an additional 75 ft., and plant your marker for Venus. Continue walking the distances indicated below (all distances are total distance from the sun) and leaving markers for the planets at the proper points. When you reach Neptune, you have created your model solar system!

• Relative size of planets and distance from sun (1/2 mile = 1 billion miles):

• Sun is 27” in diameter (about the size of a medium-sized beach ball)

• Mercury (.1” or the size of a peppercorn) = 105 ft. (.02 miles)

• Venus (.25” or the size of a pea) = 175 ft. (.03 miles)

• Earth (.25” or the size of a pea) = 250 ft. (.05 miles)

• Mars (.17” or the size of a BB) = 340 ft. (.06 miles)

• Jupiter (2.7” or the size of a tennis ball) = .25 miles

• Saturn (2.2” or the size raquetball) = .5 miles

• Uranus (1” or the size of a cherry tomato) = .9 miles

• Neptune (1” or the size of a cherry tomato) = 1.4 miles