By Robert Ceville – Updated Mar 24, 2022
Construct a 3‑D model of the Sun, Earth, and Moon that accurately depicts the relative positions of these celestial bodies. This project is ideal for a classroom assignment or a decorative piece for a child’s room, and it can be built using simple materials you already have at home or school.
Place a round piece of cardboard on a flat surface. Use a pencil, crayon, or marker to find the exact center, then draw a vertical and horizontal line that intersect there.
Using a compass, sketch two concentric circles: the outer circle represents the Sun–Earth distance, and the inner circle represents the Earth–Moon distance. Remember that the Sun–Earth radius is far greater than the Earth–Moon radius, so the outer circle should be noticeably larger. A separate circle for the Sun itself is unnecessary, as it will be hung from the cardboard’s center.
Pin a hole in the very center of the cardboard with a pair of scissors. Then make two additional holes along the perimeters of the circles drawn in Step 2.
Cut a 6‑inch circle from yellow construction paper for the Sun, a 3‑inch circle from blue paper for the Earth, and a 1‑inch circle from white paper for the Moon.
Decorate each disc with crayons or markers. For the Sun, draw radiating flames; for the Earth, sketch continents in brown; for the Moon, add craters in gray.
Cut three 6‑inch lengths of string. Tape one end to the center of each disc. Thread the Sun’s string through the central hole of the cardboard, the Earth’s string through the second hole, and the Moon’s string through the third. Secure the opposite ends to the back of the cardboard to complete the 3‑D representation.
Because a true‑scale model would be impractical—if the Sun were a standard bowling ball (≈8 inches in diameter), the Earth would be the size of a peppercorn and the Moon a pinhead, with the Earth located 78 feet from the Sun—this guide focuses on a non‑scale, visually engaging model that illustrates the orbital relationship.
