Earth-Moon Scale Model

This image of the Earth-Moon system was taken by Galileo in 1990.

Background and Theory
The solar system is big. But what does that statement really tell you? One of the goals of this course is to have each of you develop some feel for the size of the solar system and the objects in it. To do that requires more than just numbers. When I say the two objects are a mile apart, most of us can comprehend that in everyday terms. We know how long it would take us to walk or drive that distance. But what does it mean to us when I say that Jupiter is 7.78 x 10⁸ kilometers away? Since we do not have everyday experiences with such distances, the number is almost meaningless. One way to start to comprehend such distances is to place them onto a more familiar scale.

Procedure

Use the data below to choose an appropriate scale factor to design a scale model Earth-Moon system. For added interest, include the space shuttle and a geosynchronous satellite. You should first scale the distance between the Earth and the Moon, and then scale everything else using that scale. It will probably take some trial and error to find a scale factor that will work well. Once you have decided on a scale, fill out the table below. In your table include familiar objects that are similar in size to the scaled down versions of the Earth, Moon, and the other objects. For example, on your scale, the Earth may turn out to be 30 cm across. This is about the same size as a basketball. The familiar objects you choose do not have to be the exact same size, just something to make your model easier to comprehend.

Earth-Moon Data
Earth-Moon Distance	384,000 km
Diameter of the Earth	12,756 km
Diameter of the Moon	3476 km
Typical Space Shuttle Orbit	400 km above Earth's surface
Geosynchronous Satellite Orbit	33,000 km (from center)
Size of the Space Shuttle	50 meters
Size of Satellite	6 meters

Description of the scale you have chosen (one or two sentences):

One example explicitly showing how you transformed the size from the data to your scale (show all of your math):

Object Scaled Size Common Object

Earth-Moon Distance

Diameter of the Earth

Diameter of the Moon

Typical Space Shuttle Orbit

Geosynchronous Satellite Orbit

Size of the Space Shuttle

Size of Satellite