Use the following lithographs to envision the scale of our solar system. View different models of planets at different scales, an infographic about the relative sizes of the planets and distance from the sun, and images of the largest...

This illustration from the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory shows the approximate sizes of the planets relative to each other. Note that the planets are not shown at appropriate distances from the Sun.

These hands-on activities are a great way for students to gain perspective on the relative sizes and distances of each planet, the relationship between the sun and Earth, and much more.

Using the size of the planets, 2nd graders are able to work with numbers to 1,000. This activity introduces larger numbers (even beyond 1,000) to extend student understanding of the patterns in numbers.

This site is astronomy for kids and teachers! Here students can learn about the planet Earth of the Solar System including fun facts, mass, day, year, and distance from the Sun.

NASA site features a lesson plan that teachers can use to help their students see how far they are from each of the planets.

Gain an understanding of how to find the distance between two points and the midpoint by viewing examples and a video lesson.

While astronomers and philosophers have long mused on the possibility of other solar systems, the first planets confirmed to orbit a star other than our Sun weren't found until 1992. The reason it took so long is that it's really hard!...

Celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects - sun, moon, planets or stars. This activity starts with a...

When we look at the night sky, we see stars and the nearby planets of our own solar system. Many of those stars are actually distant galaxies and glowing clouds of dust and gases called nebulae. The universe is an immense space with...

How do astronomers collect stardust? They design and build satellites that are launched into space to collect particles on specially designed panels. Satellites can be sent to orbit around an object of interest: a planet, moon, or comet....

This interactive resource from the Exploratorium calculates your weight on other bodies in our solar system and offers an explanation of mass and weight and the relationship between gravity, mass, and distance.