EARTH (an inner planet) Equatorial diameter = 7,926 mi Actual distance from Sun =

92,955,820 mi Mass = 5.98 × 1024 kg Number of Moons: 1 Temp. Range: -126oF to 136oF

If the Sun is scaled down to 9.5 inches in diameter, the Earth is about the size of the head of a pin:

0.087 inches in diameter 85 feet from the Sun

*Approximately 1.3 million Earths could fit inside the Sun. In Greek mythology, Earth (or Gaia) was married to Uranus.

Scaled Model:

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SUN In this model 1 inch is the equivalent of

91,000 miles in the real world. Actual equatorial diameter =

864,400 mi Scaled diameter = 9.5 inches Mass = 2×1030 kilograms The temperature at the surface of the

sun is about 10,000° F. The temperature rises from the surface of the sun inward towards the very hot center of the sun where it reaches about 27,000,000° F.

The Sun’s mass is approximately 99.8% of our Solar System.

*The Sun is also known as Sol.

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MERCURY (an inner planet) Equatorial diameter = 3,032 mi Actual distance from Sun =

35,983,095 mi Mass = 3.30×1023 kg Number of Moons: 0 Temp. Range: -300oF to 872oF

If the Sun is scaled down to 9.5 inches in diameter, then Mercury is less than 2 salt grains in size.

0.033 inches in diameter 33 feet from the Sun

*Mercury has less gravity than Earth. An object that weighs 100lbs on Earth only weighs 38lbs on Mercury.

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VENUS (an inner planet) Equatorial diameter = 7,520 mi Actual distance from Sun = 67,237,910 mi Mass = 4.87×1024 kg Number of Moons: 0 Average Temp: 854° F

If the Sun is scaled down to 9.5 inches in diameter, then Venus is slightly smaller than the head of a pin.

0.083 inches in diameter 62 feet from the Sun

*Venus is closest in size to Earth; its actual diameter is “only” about 400 miles less than the Earth’s. The Greek name for the Roman goddess Venus is Aphrodite.

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MARS (an inner planet) Equatorial diameter = 4,222 mi Actual distance from Sun =

141,633,260 mi Mass = 6.4219 x 1023 kg Number of Moons: 2 Temp Range: -125 to 20 °F

If the Sun is scaled down to 9.5 inches in diameter, then Mars is roughly the size of a large sand grain.

0.046 inches in diameter 130 feet from the Sun

*Mars’ orbit takes it just inside the Asteroid Belt; Mars travels around the Sun in ~687 Earth days. Mars is also known as the Red Planet.

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JUPITER (gas giant, an outer planet) Equatorial diameter = 88,846 mi Actual distance from Sun =

483,682,810 mi Mass = 1.90×1027 kg Number of Moons: 63 Temp Range: 59 - 68°F

If the Sun is scaled down to 9.5 inches in diameter, then Jupiter is: 0.976 inches in diameter 443 feet from the Sun

* Jupiter’s immense, complex atmosphere includes the Great Red Spot, a 300-year-old storm that is about the size of three Earths.

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SATURN (gas giant, an outer planet) Equatorial diameter = 74,898 mi Actual distance from Sun = 885,904,700 mi Mass = 5.69×1026 kg Number of Moons: 62 Avg Temp: -218 °F

If the Sun is scaled down to 9.5 inches in diameter, then Saturn is: 0.823 inches in diameter 811 feet from the Sun

* Saturn’s rings span about 175,000 miles, but are only about 3,200 feet thick. They are made of thousands of water ice particles with some chunks as big as a car. The rings are held in place by moons that "shepherd" the particles and keep them in a series of ringlets.

Scaled Model:

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Thanks, Mr. Fuller and Mr. Anderson. URANUS (gas giant, an outer planet) Equatorial diameter = 31764 mi Actual distance from Sun = 1,783,939,400 mi Mass = 8.68×1025 kg Number of Moons: 27 Avg Temp: -322.87 °F

If the Sun is scaled down to 9.5 inches in diameter, then Uranus is:

0.349 inches in diameter 1,634 feet from the Sun

* Uranus takes 84 years to orbit the sun. It rotates on its side and so half the time one pole is toward the sun and half the time the other is toward the sun making each of the four seasons last about 20 years. The faint bluish color of the planet is because the methane gas in the atmosphere absorbs red light and reflects blue light.

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NEPTUNE (gas giant, an outer planet) Equatorial diameter = 30,776 mi Actual distance from Sun = 2,795,084,800

mi Mass = 1.02×1026 kg Number of Moons: 8 Avg Temp: -328.27° F

If the Sun is scaled down to 9.5 inches in diameter, then Neptune is: 0.338 inches in diameter 2,560 feet from the Sun

* The Great Dark Spot, the dark oval on the planet, was a storm like the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. The storm has disappeared since this image was taken by Voyager 2 according to Hubble Space Telescope data but another spot was found in a different place. The atmosphere shows lots of activity including the white clouds of methane ice crystals.Scaled Model:

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PLUTO (an inner planet)

Equatorial diameter = 1,430 mi Actual distance from Sun =

3,760,050,000 mi Mass = 1.25×1022 kg Number of Moons: 1 Avg Temp: -380oF

If the Sun is scaled down to 9.5 inches in diameter, then Pluto is less than 1 grain of salt in size.

0.016 inches in diameter 3,443 feet from the Sun

*On August 24, 2006, astronomers redefined the term planet and Pluto no longer fit the new criteria for planethood. It was demoted to “dwarf planet” and is the 2nd largest dwarf planet in the solar system behind Ceres which is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.Scale Model: Please do not remove!!! Thanks, Mr. Fuller and Mr. Anderson.