The Sun is made up of mostly helium and hydrogen gas, and it’s constantly converting hydrogen into helium through a process called nuclear fusion. You can draw the sun freehand, or you can trace a round object or use a compass.
Like Earth, Mercury has a liquid core and a solid outer crust. [1] X Research source
Venus gets its yellowish-brown color from the clouds of sulfur dioxide that cover its surface. However, if you were able to travel through the clouds and look at the actual surface of the planet, it would look brownish-red. [2] X Research source
One reason why there’s life on Earth but not on the other planets in the solar system (that scientists know of) is because of Earth’s distance from the Sun. It’s not so close to the Sun that temperatures are extremely hot, but it’s not so far away that everything freezes over either. [4] X Research source
Mars gets its iconic rusty red coloring from the iron oxide that covers its surface. Iron oxide also gives blood and rust their color. [6] X Research source
Unlike the other planets, Saturn has distinct rings circling around it, which formed when objects broke up in the planet’s orbit and got stuck in its gravitational pull. [8] X Research source
Unlike most of the planets in the solar system, Uranus doesn’t have a rocky molten core. Instead, its core is made up of mostly ice, water, and methane.
Neptune’s atmosphere contains methane, which absorbs red light from the sun and reflects blue light. That’s why the planet appears blue.
Make sure none of the orbital paths you draw intersect with each other.
Mercury: 0. 39 AU Venus: 0. 72 AU Earth: 1 AU Mars: 1. 53 AU Jupiter 5. 2 AU Saturn: 9. 5 AU Uranus: 19. 2 AU Neptune: 30. 1 AU
For example, if your scale is 1 centimeter = 1 AU, you would multiply each distance by 1 to convert them. Therefore, since Neptune is 30. 1 AU away from the sun, it would be 30. 1 centimeters away in your drawing.
Write down the scale you used somewhere on your drawing so it’s clear how far apart the planets are.
