Build a Solar System

Calculator for scaling the Solar System

This Page requires a JavaScript capable browser.

Fill in the diameter of the Sun you want your model to be scaled by. You can fill in either the red bordered inches box or the green bordered millimeters box.

Important: Only fill in one box. If both are filled in you will get a dialog box asking you to clear one of the boxes. Use the Clear button to clear the entire form.

Click on the "Calculate" button.

Notice that the distances and sizes of the planets will automatically fill in

You can click on the names of the planets and satellites to go the the Nine Planets web site page about them. LOTS of info there!

Solar System Model

Body Body
Diam
(km) Body
Diam
(in) Body
Diam
(mm) Orbit
radius
(km) Scaled orbit
radius
(ft & in) Scaled
orbit
radius
(meters)

Sun 1391900

Mercury 4866 57950000 ft in m

Venus 12106 108110000 ft in m

Earth 12742 149570000 ft in m

Mars 6760 227840000 ft in m

Jupiter 139516 778140000 ft in m

Saturn 116438 1427000000 ft in m

Uranus 46940 2870300000 ft in m

Neptune 45432 4499900000 ft in m

Pluto 2274 5913000000 ft in m

Other interesting distances and speeds

Quantity Real
Quantity Scaled
Quantity
(English) Scaled
Quantity
(Metric)

Speed of
light 299792 km/sec in/sec mm/sec

Light
year 9.46051E+12 km mi km

Distances to Stars and Galaxies

To Alpha Centauri 4.03964E+13 km mi km

To Sirius 8.17388E+13 km mi km

To Deneb 1.32636E+16 km mi km

To Galactic
center 2.62151E+17 km mi km

Sizes of Stars

Hottest star
(Type 05) 12527100 km ft m
Coolest star
(Type M5) 222704 km in cm

Red giant
(Betelgeuse) 521962500 km ft m

White dwarf
(Sirius B) 13919 km in mm

Neutron star 20 km in mm

If you'd like to see the satellites of the planets as well, click here for a much more extensive page (and a longer download time too!)

Thanks to Bill Arnett for his fantastic Nine Planets web site.

� 1997; Ron Hipschman, Exploratorium