Create a formula in your spreadsheet that will calculate the distance from the Sun to each planet (in centimeters) in your model.Download the Scale Distance spreadsheet ( XLSX or CSV).If you want your model to span a longer or shorter distance, you can change the scale value accordingly. Note: When using the suggested 10 centimeters per 1 AU, you’ll need about 10 feet between the Sun and Neptune. Multiply the scale factor on the chart by the distance to each planet in astronomical units (AU).Download the distance calculation chart ( DOCX).If you're making a scale-distance model, keep reading for two different methods of calculating scale distances. Watch this video about the size of planets and the distances between them to see how far they are from each other, how they differ in size, and how difficult it is to display both their size and distance accurately. Because of this, it can be difficult or even impossible to display both planet size and distance accurately, especially in smaller scale models like an image. There are also huge differences in the size of each planet.
It's not just the distances between planets that are large.
For example, instead of saying, "Mars is 130 million miles from the Sun," scientists can say, "Mars is 1.5 AU from the Sun." This allows scientists to describe and calculate distances more efficiently. One AU is equal to the average distance between the Sun and Earth, about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). Because the distances between planets are so great, astronomers sometimes describe distances in terms of astronomical units (AU). Learn about sizes and distances in our solar systemĭistances in the solar system can be huge! The distance from the Sun to Neptune is nearly three billion miles (four billion kilometers).