Make a scaled down version of the Solar System to get picture of how big and how far apart Earth’s near (and far) neighbours are.

You will need:

• a coloured print out of the Solar System and instructions
• a long strip of paper, as long as you can stretch your arms apart and about 5cm wide (cash register rolls work well).
• scissors
• glue stick or sticky tape

Follow the folding instructions closely to ensure that your Solar System objects are the correct distance apart.

1. Use the scissors to cut out the planets and other objects.
2. At one end of the strip of paper attach the Sun using tape or glue. At the opposite end attach Pluto.
3. Fold the paper in half (so the Sun and Pluto touch each other) and make a crease in the middle of the paper. Unfold the paper and stick Uranus on the crease.
4. Fold the paper back in half, and then fold it in half again. Unfold the paper completely – there should be two new creases.
5. Stick Neptune on the crease between Uranus and Pluto.
6. Stick Saturn on the crease between the Sun and Uranus.
7. Fold the Sun end of the paper to Saturn, unfold and stick Jupiter on the crease.
8. Fold the Sun to Jupiter, unfold and stick the Asteroid Belt on the crease.
9. Fold the Sun to the Asteroid Belt, unfold and stick Mars on the crease.
10. Between the Sun and Mars, place the last cut-out, with Mercury closest to the Sun and the Earth next to Mars.

Congratulations! You have made a scale model of the Solar System!