Inspired by the Sweden Solar System – the world’s largest scale model of our planetary neighborhood
How big is the Sun compared to Earth? And how far away is Neptune, really? These questions are hard to grasp because of the immense scale of our solar system. That’s why this hands-on model lets you recreate a true-to-scale version of the solar system using any distance you have available — a school corridor, playground, or even a village road.
All you need to do is enter the total distance you want to use (for example, 500 meters from the Sun to Neptune), and the calculator will show you:
Where to place each planet from the Sun (in meters)
What size sphere to use for each planet and the Sun (in centimeters)
This activity is inspired by the famous Sweden Solar System, which stretches across the entire country to demonstrate the vastness of space. Our version makes it possible to experience this cosmic scale even in a school or public space, using common materials like balls or painted spheres.
It’s an excellent way to blend math, science, and physical activity into a memorable learning experience!
Following calculators can be used to separately calculate to distance & sizes independently: