lesson
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Space is so gigantic that you cannot hold the Sun or the planets in your hands.
To study how space objects fit together, scientists build a physical model — a handy 3D tool made of balls and rods that shows where objects are located.
Which three space objects belong in our model, and what do they look like?
The Three Objects
Our model uses three different spheres: a giant yellow ball for the Sun, a medium blue ball for the Earth, and a tiny gray ball for the Moon.
📊A clean visual diagram comparing the 3 model pieces on a tabletop stand. On the left: a large bright yellow sphere labeled 'Sun (Largest)'. In the middle: a medium blue and green marble labeled 'Earth (Medium)'. On the right: a tiny gray bead labeled 'Moon (Smallest)'. Clean card layout with #1e2945 text, pastel backgrounds (#fff9db for Sun, #e7f5ff for Earth, #f1f3f5 for Moon), rounded corners, clear size comparison.
Now that we have the three pieces, where do we place them so they match the real sky?
Setting Up Positions
The Sun sits in the center of the stand, while the Earth connects to a long arm that swings around the Sun.
The tiny Moon connects to a short arm attached directly to Earth, so it always stays close to its home planet.
📊Top-down view of a classroom Sun-Earth-Moon mechanical model on a white board. In the center is the big yellow Sun on a fixed post. A long metal arm reaches outward to Earth (blue sphere). Attached to Earth's base is a short arm holding the tiny gray Moon. Dashed circular lines show Earth's wide path around the Sun and the Moon's small tight path around Earth. Crisp labels with arrows: 'Sun at Center', 'Earth on Long Arm', 'Moon on Short Arm'.
How do these positions change when the objects start to move?