Podcast: Stroll the Solar System

• By Sara Mitchell
• April 30, 2009
• 1 Comment

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Join Blueshift for a unique tour of the solar system, as we walk the B&A Trail’s Planet Walk in Maryland and talk to scientists along the way. Armed with hiking boots and a portable recorder, Francis Reddy brings you the sounds of the solar system and a factoid about each planet along the way. Also featuring the Sun and lonely former-planet Pluto!

Recorded during the 100 Hours of Astronomy earlier this month, this episode gives you a taste of the activities organized by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and its community partners.

100 Hours of Astronomy and the Planet Walk

On April 2-5, 2009, events were held around the world in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy’s “100 Hours of Astronomy” project. Synchronized across time zones, thousands of events were held during the four-day period to invite the public to look through a telescope and participate in other astronomy activities. Here at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, we had a jam-packed long weekend of activities, including a very special Planet Walk along a local trail. For more information about IYA, 100 Hours of Astronomy, and our efforts, visit:

• International Year of Astronomy (international site) – the official international website for the year’s projects and events
• International Year of Astronomy (United States) – the official site for the United States
• NASA’s International Year of Astronomy site – resources, activities, and events organized by NASA for IYA
• 100 Hours of Astronomy – the official website documenting events and opportunities, now featuring a retrospective on the impact and success of the project
• Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails Planet Walk – the permanent scale model of the solar system along the B&A Trail in Maryland, site of our Planet Walk event

Make Your Own Scale Models

You may not have a local Planet Walk, but here are some easy ways to create scale models of the solar system at home:

• Play-Doh Solar System – step-by-step instructions to make your own scale model of the solar system out of 3 pounds of Play-Doh or modelling clay (models the relative sizes of the planets)
• Toilet Paper Solar System – turn a roll of toilet paper into a scale model of the solar system (models the relative distances of the planets)
• The Earth as a Peppercorn – a thousand-yard scale model of the solar system, including suggested materials for each planet (models both relative sizes and distances of the planets)
• Build a Solar System – a JavaScript calculator to help you figure out the scale of your own model of the solar system

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