Scale Solar System Models

Overview

I created a series of 3D solar system models for use in astronomy labs to help students visualize and understand the true scale of planetary sizes and orbital distances.

These interactive models allow learners to explore the vastness of the solar system in a tangible way. Students can compare planet sizes, examine orbital spacing, and experience the immense emptiness of space through realistic scale visualizations.

Designed for classroom use and Canvas LMS integration, these tools make one of astronomy’s most abstract concepts, scale, clear, engaging, and memorable.

Project Design & Purpose

These 3D models were built as teaching tools for integration into classroom labs where images alone cannot show the scale and size of the solar system.

The Scale Challenge

If you show the planets at their correct relative sizes, you can’t show the distances—they’d extend for miles. If you show the distances to scale, the planets become invisible dots. These interactive models let students explore both scales separately and understand why we can’t show both simultaneously.