Looking for video explaining the relative distance of planets

acurno

Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone has a link to a video or any useful resources to show a bunch of kids the relative distance between planets? Teaching in a school and during free classes have taken to talking to them about astronomy and the cosmos. They love it. Have loads of videos on the size of stars and the universe but want something a bit closer to home that they can visualize. And I won't be taking them outside with tennis balls and ping pong balls before anyone asks!
Couple of youtube vidoes out there, but haven't found anything decent, and with the restrictions on youtube in schools it's difficult to show anything. Remember Brain Cox doing it on Wonders of the Solar System which was pretty good, but ain't forking out on the box set (just yet)

Thanks

thecornflake

acurno wrote: »

Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone has a link to a video or any useful resources to show a bunch of kids the relative distance between planets? Teaching in a school and during free classes have taken to talking to them about astronomy and the cosmos. They love it. Have loads of videos on the size of stars and the universe but want something a bit closer to home that they can visualize. And I won't be taking them outside with tennis balls and ping pong balls before anyone asks!
Couple of youtube vidoes out there, but haven't found anything decent, and with the restrictions on youtube in schools it's difficult to show anything. Remember Brain Cox doing it on Wonders of the Solar System which was pretty good, but ain't forking out on the box set (just yet)

Thanks

Maybe try something like google earth ? you could place and object like a tennis ball over the school on the map and zoom out to show where the other planets would be if they were scaled down. I just thought it could show them how large the distances are using an area they're familiar with

Beeker

acurno wrote: »

Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone has a link to a video or any useful resources to show a bunch of kids the relative distance between planets? Teaching in a school and during free classes have taken to talking to them about astronomy and the cosmos. They love it. Have loads of videos on the size of stars and the universe but want something a bit closer to home that they can visualize. And I won't be taking them outside with tennis balls and ping pong balls before anyone asks!
Couple of youtube vidoes out there, but haven't found anything decent, and with the restrictions on youtube in schools it's difficult to show anything. Remember Brain Cox doing it on Wonders of the Solar System which was pretty good, but ain't forking out on the box set (just yet)

Thanks

It' great to hear you are passing on the trill of astronomy and space to kids. Keep it up.

Try this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Ob0xR0Ut8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Ob0xR0Ut8

And this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZJb6yFDKIw&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLCCC3FC140C5B1EF4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZJb6yFDKIw

If you have Real Player you can download the Youtube videos and then play them on Real Player.

BULLER

I cant find it but wasn't there a thread on here that showed the relative distances in relation to Ireland. He did it all on google map it was class.
ie: if the sun was a ball the size of O connell street, Mercury would be a basketball at Hueston Station?!

Beeker

BULLER wrote: »

I cant find it but wasn't there a thread on here that showed the relative distances in relation to Ireland. He did it all on google map it was class.
ie: if the sun was a ball the size of O connell street, Mercury would be a basketball at Hueston Station?!

Yeah that was fantastic, here it is
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056310312

Heres another great video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U&feature=player_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U

Zubeneschamali

BULLER wrote: »

I cant find it but wasn't there a thread on here that showed the relative distances in relation to Ireland. He did it all on google map it was class.
ie: if the sun was a ball the size of O connell street, Mercury would be a basketball at Hueston Station?!

Here it is: Irish Solar System

The Sun is at O'Connel bridge, and is the height of Liberty Hall.

Uranus is on the west side of Athlone.

Boom boom!

acurno

Thanks for all those replies, I actually have most of those videos. That Bill Nye one is good, but the picture quality is terrible which comes out worse on a projector. Really like that thread showing the google maps distance using Ireland. As always with kids though, if they can visualize it they grasp the concept more.

Conor108

Probably not perfect but I like the astronomy section on Khan academy:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEeJkkMXt6c