The concept of lunar and planetary orbits can be difficult for beginners to grasp. This simple flat model will help you to introduce these ideas by showing that the Moon is in orbit around Earth, but the Earth-Moon system is also orbiting the Sun. The model is easy to make using just one sheet of A4 card, some paper fasteners and a dash of artistic flare.
Although Earth and the Moon in our model are the correct sizes relative to each other, it goes without saying that the size of the Sun and the distances between the bodies are not to scale. If they were, our Sun would have a diameter of 10.9 metres, the distance between Earth and the Moon would be 2.76 metres and the distance between the Sun and Earth would be 1.2km. If the Sun and Earth were the correct sizes relative to the distance in our model, the Sun would have a diameter of approximately 2mm and the Earth a diameter of approximately 0.018mm. The surprising size of these numbers is a great teaching opportunity, conveying the fact that space is big! Models and diagrams commonly used to show our Solar System are never to scale because the relative sizes and distances are far too large.
There are several more learning outcomes from creating this project. When drawing Earth, there is much to learn about the geography of our home planet - not just the shapes of the continents, but also why some areas are very green and lush while others are brown and arid. There are many photographs of Earth as seen from space online, so choose one that shows the continent where you live.
Sketch the surfaces
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Could We Find Aliens by Looking for Their Solar Panels?- Designed to reflect ultraviolet and infrared, the panels have a unique fingerprint
Researchers searching for life beyond Earth spend a lot of time thinking about what telltale signs might be detectable astronomically. Forms of unambiguous evidence for the presence of life on another world are known as biosignatures. By extension, techno signatures are indicators of activity by intelligent, civilisation-building life.
Antimatter- In our continuing series, Govert Schilling looks at antimatter, the strange counterpart to most of the matter filling our Universe
Particles and corresponding antiparticles are very much alike, except they have opposite electrical charges. For instance, the antiparticle of the electron - known as the positron - has the same tiny mass, but while electrons carry a negative electrical charge, positrons are positively charged.
Where Have All The Milky Way's Early Stars Gone?- Our Galaxy has a curious lack of pristine stars
The Big Bang produced a Universe filled almost exclusively with hydrogen and helium; all other elements - what astronomers call metals - were produced by stars, supernovae and everything that happens later. So if you can pick out a pristine star with no metals polluting it from among the billions in the Milky Way, then you are likely to have a star dating from our Galaxy's earliest days.
Inside The Sky At Night - Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST
Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST. In July's Sky at Night, we discovered what she's learned since then.
How to stack DSLR data in Siril
Easily combine multiple frames to boost detailin your astro photos
Lunar occultation of Saturn
You'll need to strike a balance on 21 August to capture the Moon covering the ringed planet
How to plot a variable star light curve
A rewarding project to chart stars that change brightness
Smartphone photography with a telescope
Mary Mcintyre explains how to get impressive night-sky images using your phone
Once-a-century solar storm is overdue
If a Carrington Event struck today it would be catastrophic, says Minna Palmroth
The new era of human spaceflight
There's been a step-change in crewed space missions since the dawn of the 21st century. Ben Evans charts its course and looks ahead to future horizons
