# I'm looking for a model of the 8 planets and earth's moon that are TO SCALE **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 19, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801 "2022-12-19T19:30:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/1 "2022-12-19T19:30:15Z")
I’m looking for a model of the 8 planets and earth’s moon where the sizes of the planets are TO SCALE. I’ve searched Amazon and haven’t found any to scale. I realize there is a big difference in sizes, which is what is making finding this hard. But my purpose is to be able to visually illustrate the difference in size. Caveats: Note that I didn’t include the sun, since it is so much larger that it would dwarf any comparison of planet sizes. Note also that I’m not asking to model the distance between the planets for the same reason. Thanks, J. ---
**Author:** ![motu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/motu/32/259_2.png) [@motu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/motu)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/2 "2022-12-19T19:32:50Z")
> **[Peoria Scale Model of the Solar System](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/peoria-scale-model-of-the-solar-system)** > > The world's third-largest scale model of the planets. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/3 "2022-12-19T19:45:22Z")
Just buy (or paint) separate models? It’s not like they are going to be fixed to each other anyway, as has been pointed out: [![](https://solarsystem.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2019-10/solar-system-map.png) ](https://solarsystem.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2019-10/solar-system-map.png) [https://www.joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pixelspace\_solarsystem.html](https://www.joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pixelspace_solarsystem.html) Maybe Saturn is the least-spherical (most flattened) planet? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/4 "2022-12-19T19:53:27Z")
> [@jharvey963](#): > > I realize there is a big difference in sizes, which is what is making finding this hard. But my purpose is to be able to visually illustrate the difference in size. If you want to build your own, this can give relative sizes at whatever scale you want. > **[Solar System Scale Model Calculator](https://thinkzone.wlonk.com/SS/SolarSystemModel.php)** > > Solar System Scale Model Calculator ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/5 "2022-12-19T19:57:11Z")
Would a video help or does it have to be physical. It’s kinda short, though: [SOLAR SYSTEM - 3D Comparison by MBS - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ampcQYXHkM4) ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/6 "2022-12-19T20:04:44Z")
Couldn’t you just get a 9 planet model and then cut Pluto off? I’m out of here! ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/7 "2022-12-19T21:25:44Z")
> **[The 8 planets of the Solar System to scale](https://www.littleplanetfactory.com/products/the-solar-system-scale)** > > A model of the 8 planets of the solar system to true scale to one another. > Much as in reality, the majority of the set's volume & mass is dominated by the gas giants with the terrestrial planets making only a partial handful of objects. > In... ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/8 "2022-12-19T21:27:31Z")
Oops, just noticed that that model is “unavailable”. Try this one. > **[The 8 planets to scale, 1:1.5 billion by Gioann on Shapeways](https://www.shapeways.com/product/N3X3BJVYC/the-8-planets-to-scale-1-1-5-billion)** > > Check out The 8 planets to scale, 1:1.5 billion by Gioann on Shapeways and discover more 3D printed products in Other. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/9 "2022-12-19T21:32:47Z")
You can make your own with common objects, using this as a guide: The Thousand Yard Model (or the Earth as a Peppercorn) [https://lavinia.as.arizona.edu/~dmccarthy/GSUSA/activities/Additional%20Files/Thousand%20Yard%20SS%20Earth%20is%20Peppercorn.pdf](https://lavinia.as.arizona.edu/~dmccarthy/GSUSA/activities/Additional%20Files/Thousand%20Yard%20SS%20Earth%20is%20Peppercorn.pdf) It includes Pluto, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/10 "2022-12-20T06:25:29Z")
> [@jharvey963](#): > > I’m looking for a model of the 8 planets and earth’s moon where the sizes of the planets are TO SCALE. I’ve searched Amazon and haven’t found any to scale. Are you a time traveler from 100 years ago? There are 9 planets. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/11 "2022-12-20T09:56:16Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > Are you a time traveler from 100 years ago? There are 9 planets. Ten if you include Goofy. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/12 "2022-12-20T12:26:55Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > Are you a time traveler from 100 years ago? There are 9 planets. Have you been asleep since [2006](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_definition_of_planet)? There are eight planets. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/13 "2022-12-20T12:33:57Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > > [@Bootb](#): > > > > Are you a time traveler from 100 years ago? There are 9 planets. > > Have you been asleep since [2006](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_definition_of_planet)? There are eight planets. - “There are 💡 💡 💡 💡!” ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/14 "2022-12-20T12:36:19Z")
[I **s this the kind of thing you are looking for?**](https://www.shapeways.com/product/CCWSF8QXL/true-scale-model-solar-system-moons-all-planets) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/15 "2022-12-20T12:41:37Z")
“Natural sandstone”? I guess that must be sandstone _grains_ 3-D printed? That seems a little weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/16 "2022-12-20T12:46:21Z")
There might already be one installed near you – [Solar System model - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System_model) You can buy one for your community: [http://voyagesolarsystem.org/](http://voyagesolarsystem.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/17 "2022-12-20T13:14:34Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Have you been asleep since [2006](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_definition_of_planet)? There are eight planets. I 💓 Pluto forever! 💏 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/18 "2022-12-20T13:55:05Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > “Natural sandstone”? I guess that must be sandstone _grains_ 3-D printed? That seems a little weird to me. It’s basically grains of colored sand glued together. I guess it’s “natural” in the sense that it’s not supernatural; I’m not sure what else they would mean by that word. Last I checked, it’s the only printing option Shapeways has that allows for more than one color on a model, so for any other printing option, you’d be paying a couple of hundred bucks just for some various-sized balls. You’d probably still be much better off just finding some existing balls of appropriate sizes, and if you really want the imagery, put it on a vinyl wrap or something you can cover the balls with. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/19 "2022-12-20T14:10:38Z")
A couple years ago, my then-10-year-old son and I followed the instructions for doing this, from this terrific 1994 book: > **[Earthsearch: Cassidy, John: 9781878257741: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Earthsearch-John-Cassidy/dp/1878257749)** > > Earthsearch \[Cassidy, John\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Earthsearch It was something like a tennis ball for the sun on the sidewalk in front of our house; a grain of coarse sea salt for Mercury a couple houses down; a peppercorn for Venus in the next block down the street; another peppercorn for the Earth (and another grain of sea salt for its moon) another block and a half down; and I think that’s when we stopped, though we could have used a marble for Jupiter another quarter-mile away… I’m not remembering the distances exactly, but it was a good lesson for both of us about how far apart these mothers are. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801/20 "2022-12-20T14:20:12Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > [I **s this the kind of thing you are looking for?**](https://www.shapeways.com/product/CCWSF8QXL/true-scale-model-solar-system-moons-all-planets) Yes, it is, but I was hoping for something a little less pricey. Thanks, J. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-model-of-the-8-planets-and-earths-moon-that-are-to-scale/976801.md?page=2)