How on earth are you going to remember what planet goes where and what they're all called? Making this fun solar system and using our special memory aid (see below) it will be a cinch!

You'll need:
10 foam balls varying in sizes from large: 100mm, the sun, to small: 18mm, Pluto (available from Spotlight stores)
Glue
Aluminium foil
Cardboard
Masking tape
Acrylic paints in various colours
Paintbrush
1.5m of 6mm dia wire
5m of 1.2mm dia wire
Pliers
Wire snips
Bamboo skewer

Here's how
Stop 1 Glue foil around the foam balls.To make the ring for Saturn, stick cardboard around the middle of Ihe ball with masking tape.Then glue foil on to the ball and the cardboard ring.

Step 2 Paint planets using the colour guide right.

Step 3 Use 6mm wire to make a coil with 10 rings.

Step 4 Cut three 80cm pieces of small gauge wire. Bend 1 piece in half and working from the centre, weave it around each coil until you reach the outer edge. Repeat 2 more times so the coil is supported in 3 sections.

Step 5 Cut 10 pieces of small gauge wire into 30cm lengths. Use the skewer to make a hole through the centre of each ball, thread wire through. Curl wire at bottom so balls don't slip off and wind top bit around a pencil to create curls.

Step 6 Starting with the sun in the centre, attach one planet on each orbit ring working towards the outer edge. Use the mnemonic below to remember the sequence. Use more thin gauge wire to create a hanger at the centre of your orbit coils.

Step 7 Arrange the planets evenly around the coils so your solar system is balanced when it's hung up.

This mnemonic (Greek word meaning aid for memory) is an easy way to help you learn the order of the planets in the solar system.The first letter of each word is the same as the first letter of each planet.


SUN

2
My
M ercury
Black

3
Very
V enus
Yellow/brown

4
Elegant
E arth
Blue and green

5
Mother
M ars
Red with black craters

6
Just
J upiter
Orange, red, yellow, brown

7
Sat
S aturn
Yellow, brown, white

8
Up
U ranus
Light blue

9
Near
N eptune
Dark blue

10
Peter
P luto
Purple


Source:Better Homes and Gardens May 2003