How to Reproduce a Miniature Planet

https://www.wikihow.it/Riprodurre-un-Pianeta-in-Miniatura

06-09-2024 |
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Few projects presented at science fairs and exhibitions manage to surpass a miniature planet, and the reason is obvious:it is a work that offers all the knowledge acquired on a certain planet, but also has the ability to portray its physical characteristics to scale.If you're making a miniature planet for a school project or for fun, start by reproducing it using paper mache and Styrofoam.After that you can paint it or connect it to a handmade solar system.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating a Miniature Planet with Papier-mâché

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1
Decide which planet to make. This way you will know how big it needs to be.It's not very important if you have to reproduce just one planet, but it is advisable to make it to scale if you decide to make an entire solar system.
- For example, Mars or Mercury should be much smaller than Saturn or Jupiter.
2
Inflate a balloon. Don't overdo it, otherwise it will become oval.Try to expand it enough so that it is spherical and at the same time the size you want.
- Place it on a bowl at the bottom, where the knot is located.This way it will stay in place and it will be easier to apply the papier-mâché.
3
Prepare the adhesive solution. You can use glue and water, flour and water, or flour and boiled water.There are several advantages for each couple:glue and water mix easily, the dough of flour and water is more compact, while that of flour and boiled water becomes clear when it dries.
- For the glue and water mixture, use approximately 60 ml of white glue and add water only to slightly thin the glue.
- For the flour and water mixture, mix water to taste.in the flour until you get the consistency you want.Remember that if the mixture is more compact, it will take longer to dry and, therefore, you will have to leave the papier-mâché balloon to dry overnight.
- For the flour and boiled water mixture, mix 65g flour and 240ml water in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture comes to the boil.It will thicken like a gel once cooled.^{[1]
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4
Shred the paper. You can use newspapers, darker wrapping paper, or colored construction paper.Use whatever you have on hand and try to tear it into pieces or strips.
- Avoid cutting the paper.The straight lines will be visible once the paper mache has dried.The rough edges of the torn paper will blend in better.
5
Apply the paper to the balloon. Dip the strips or pieces of paper into the glue slurry.Make sure you cover the paper completely with glue, but run your fingers over it to remove any excess glue.Lay the strips or pieces all over the balloon and then add another layer.
- Use your hands to smooth out any bubbles or bumps on the surface of the balloon, unless you want to give the planet a bumpy appearance.
6
Let the paper mache balloon dry. Place it in a warm place so it dries overnight.Before you start painting or decorating the model, the paper and mixture must be completely dry, otherwise they may warp.
- In some cases, paper mache takes longer to dry.If the balloon is covered in too much glue slurry or several layers of paper, it will probably take longer.Try letting a few days pass.
Once the paper mache is dry, pierce the balloon with a pin or thumbtack.^{[3]
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Research source} Remove it along with any other pieces that may have remained inside the empty planet.
8
Paint the planet. If you prefer to make a simple model, use acrylic paints to paint the planet according to its predominant color.
- For the Sun use yellow.
- For Mercury use grey.
- For Venus use yellowish-white.
- For Earth he uses blue-green.
- For Mars use red.
- For Jupiter he uses orange with white streaks.
- For Saturn use pale yellow.
- For Uranus he uses blue.
- For Neptune use blue.
- For Pluto he uses light brown.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Creating a Miniature Planet with Styrofoam

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1
Decide which planet to make. This way you will know how big it needs to be.It's not very important if you have to reproduce just one planet, but it is advisable to make it to scale if you decide to make an entire solar system.
- For example, Mars or Mercury should be much smaller than Saturn or Jupiter.
2
Choose polystyrene balls. If you have to reproduce just one planet, don't pay attention to the dimensions, but if you decide to create an entire solar system, pay attention to the different dimensions.This way, you can represent the planets to scale.
- For the sun, use a sphere 13-15 cm in diameter.
- For Mercury use a sphere 2.5 cm in diameter.
- For Venus use a sphere almost 4 cm in diameter.
- For the Earth he uses a sphere almost 4 cm in diameter.
- For Mars use a sphere 3 cm in diameter.
- For Jupiter use a sphere 10 cm in diameter.
- For Saturn use a sphere 7.5 cm in diameter.
- For Uranus use a sphere 6 cm in diameter.
- For Neptune use a sphere 5 cm in diameter.
- For Pluto use a sphere 3 cm in diameter.
3
Paint the planet. If you prefer to make a simple model, use acrylic paints to paint the planet according to its predominant color.
- For the Sun use yellow.
- For Mercury use grey.
- For Venus use yellowish-white.
- For Earth he uses blue-green.
- For Mars use red.
- For Jupiter he uses orange with white streaks.
- For Saturn use pale yellow.
- For Uranus he uses blue.
- For Neptune use blue.
- For Pluto he uses light brown.
4
Give texture and add the characteristic features of the planet. If the planet has several colors, apply the necessary shades over the entire surface.If it has a ring, attach strings or a circle of styrofoam around the ball.
- As for the rings, you can also cut the Styrofoam ball in half and glue an old CD in the center.Reattach the two halves with glue.The CD should resemble the rings surrounding some planets in the universe.^{[4]
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- As for craters, you can remove a few pieces of Styrofoam to give the surface an irregularity, so that it resembles a layer of rock.We recommend dabbing some fresh paint onto these spots.
5
Prepare wooden sticks to make a solar system. If you made all the planets to scale, take some wooden sticks and cut them to size.This way, you will separate them at the right distance.
- You won't need the stick for the Sun, since it will be at the center of your miniature solar system.
- For Mercury use a 5.5 cm stick.
- For Venus use a 10cm stick.
- For the Earth, use a 12.5 cm stick.
- For Mars use a 15cm stick.
- For Jupiter use an 18cm stick.
- For Saturn use a 20.5cm stick.
- For Uranus use a 25.5 cm stick.
- For Neptune use a 29 cm stick.
- For Pluto use a 35.5cm stick.
6
Attach the planets to the sun. Using the cut sticks, attach the one corresponding to his planet.Then, join the opposite end to the Sun.Make sure you thread them across the entire diameter of the sun.
- Assemble the planets in the correct order.Start from those closest to the Sun (Mercury, Venus and so on) until you get to the furthest ones (Neptune and Pluto).
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Advice

Oil paints can finish the model more realistically.
Spread a few sheets of newspaper on the work table to avoid messes.

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