Starrylady * Solar System
It is generally difficult to show the entire Solar System to scale. It is easy enough to make scale models of the Sun and planets, or to construct a diagram of the orbits, but difficult to show both sizes and orbits on the same scale.

At Macquarie University, a full scale model illustrating the Sun and planets of the Solar System was set up in 2002 on the grounds between building E7B and the Observatory. The Sun was a 15cm ball and the planets (assorted pin heads and beads) were shown on cards held up by enthusiastic volunteers. Unfortunately, this means you can't actually see any of the planets themselves, but you get the idea!

The top photo shows the model viewed from the Sun (the 15-cm white polystyrene ball), with the terrestrial planets arranged down the nearby hill. Mercury is on the yellow card, Venus on the white, Earth on the blue (Venus and Earth to the left of Mercury) and Mars on pink to the right of Mercury. Jupiter is well down the hill, holding his pink card above his head. Saturn is deep in the valley in line with the T-shaped fire hydrant beyond the Sun. Uranus is the the dark shadow of the trees on the far side of the dip. Neptune is visible between the trees and the more distant observatory.

The bottom photo shows the model from the opposite end. Neptune is represented by the blue card and Pluto, at the correct distance for 2002, was included in the model (foreground of photo). To have put Pluto at its mean distance from the Sun would have meant crossing the road! Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006, but it is still part of the Solar System even though it should no longer be thought of as a planet.

The scale sizes are as described in the fact sheet (link at right), with a scale of 1:9,280,000,000. A diagram of the orbits (with a scale of 1: 60,000,000,000,000) is also included on the reverse of the Fact Sheet.
Click on thumbnails to see larger images


The Sun end


The "Pluto" end


Click on the above image to download the Solar System Fact Sheet
(Word document, 63 kb)

Last Updated: 10 March 2009