Check out this short film about the size of the Solar System. On a dry lake bed in Nevada, Wylie Overstreet, Alex Gorosh and group of friends built an excellent scale model of the solar system with the earth about the size of a marble.
Elmhurst Solar System Model
Hello Space Explorers!
Stop by and explore the universe in Elmhurst, IL! Using the Emerson Outdoor Classroom as a base, a scale model of the solar system has been created with the sun at 18 inches in diameter. At this scale, the nearest star to our sun is over 8,000 miles away and located in India, but all the planets are in Elmhurst.
The model includes all fourteen major solar system bodies including the five dwarf planets of Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris. In the model, the sun is located in the Emerson Outdoor Classroom. Eris, the farthest planet, is located at Edison School. Each planet's location has a large sign that contains a picture of the planet, its actual comparative size (to scale), scientific facts, the origin of the planet’s name and a map showing where each planet is placed in Elmhurst. The planets are located at Emerson, Edison, Hawthorne and York schools, Berens and Plunkett Parks and Mary Queen of Heaven Catholic Church. Many thanks to the Emerson PTA, District 205, the Elmhurst Park District and Mary Queen of Heaven for their support in making this endeavor possible.