Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy Instruction Guide

Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy

Motorized Solar System

Bring the solar system to life with the Motorized Solar System and Planetarium. Learn about the planets as they move around the glowing sun. Use the star dome to transform any room into a night sky full of stars and constellations. The star dome works as a night-light too. Wonder and dream under starry skies!

Assembling the Solar System Model

Before starting, place 4 AA batteries in the battery compartment. See page 8 of this guide for instructions.

1. Fit the sun sphere over the LED light.
2. Next, attach the planet rods to the central tower. Each planet is printed with its own planetary symbol. For the correct order, refer to the first three columns of the chart on page 4. They list each planet’s name, symbol, and position in relation to the sun.
   • The shortest rod has Mercury, the closest planet to the sun. Insert this rod into the top ring of the central tower.
   • The next shortest rod has Venus. Insert the rod with Venus into the second ring from the top.
   • Continue in this way until you have attached all rods with planets to the tower. Notice that there is a tiny sphere attached to Earth; that is the moon.
3. You are now ready to learn about the planets! Turn on the motor/lamp at the base of the tower and watch the model move and glow.

For directions on using the star dome, see page 5.

Use your Motorized Solar System as a night light. Leave it on in either mode (motor or lamp only) and it will automatically turn off after 20 minutes.

The Solar System Model

Turn on the model and dim the room lights. You’ll be able to see the sun’s light shining on the planets better in a darkened room. The support rods and tower will also blend more into the background.

Solar System Basics

• The sun is at the center of our solar system. It gives us heat and light.
• Earth is one of eight planets in our solar system.
• The inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) are made of rocks and metals; they are the “terrestrial planets.”
• The outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) are made mostly of gases, liquid, and ice; these are the “gas giants.”
• The planets move, or revolve, around the sun constantly.
• The planets move in patterns called orbits. The shape of an orbit is not perfectly circular but like a slightly squished circle.
• All the planets move in the same direction and on the same plane (“slice of space”) as they orbit the sun.
• One “year” is the time it takes a planet to orbit the sun.
• Each planet also rotates, or spins, as it revolves around the sun.
• One “day” is the time it takes a planet to rotate all the way around.
• The planets travel around the sun at different speeds. (In this model, the inner planets move faster as a group, while the outer planets move more slowly as a group.)
• The planets follow very regular patterns as they travel around the sun. A planet’s location changes from day to day, but scientists can calculate where each planet will be at any given time using mathematics.

Model Not to Scale

• Keep in mind that home or classroom solar system models cannot show planet sizes or distances to scale. This means that the planets’ sizes and distances relative to one another are not what they would be in real life.
• For example, the sun must be shown much smaller, compared to the planets, than it actually is. In reality, the sun is about 108 times the Earth’s diameter and is about 1 million times greater in volume—a million Earths could fit inside the sun!
• The distance between planets is also hard to show on a model. In reality, the planets are very small compared to the distances between them. Suppose, for example, our model-sized Neptune were shown a correct relative distance from the sun (which would be huge if shown to scale—about 28 inches in diameter, or about as big as an adult bicycle tire). Neptune would need to be 1.4 miles (2322 meters) away. It would take you around a half hour to walk from the sun to the edge of your solar system model!

Planetary Features Chart

The Planetary Features Chart provides some basic information about the planets, including their order, distance from the sun, size, and temperature.

Planet

|

Symbol

| Position relative to the sun| The average distance from the sun|

Diameter at equator

| “Year”: Period of time to orbit the sun| Average orbital speed| “Day”: Time it takes to rotate on an axis| Atmosphere (major components)|

**Moons***

| Temperature

(min to max surface temperature for inner planets; effective temperature for outer planets)

---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---

Mercury

| |

1st

|

36,000,000 mi

(58,000,000 km)

|

3,032 mi

(4,879 km)

|

88 Earth days

|

30 mi/sec

(48 km/sec)

|

59 Earth days

|

almost non-existent

|

0

|

-279 to 801 ºF (-173 to 427 ºC)

Venus

| |

2nd

|

67,000,000 mi

(108,000,000 km)

|

7,521 mi

(12,104 km)

|

225 Earth days

|

22 mi/sec

(35 km/sec)

|

243 Earth days

| carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and clouds of sulfuric acid|

0

|

864 ºF (462 ºC)

Earth

| |

3rd

|

93,000,000 mi

(150,000,000 km)

|

7,918 mi

(12,742 km)

|

365.25 Earth days

|

18.5 mi/sec (30 km/sec)

|

24 hours

| 78% nitrogen, 21%

oxygen, 1% argon, carbon dioxide, and trace gases

|

1

|

-126 to 136 ºF (-88 to 58 ºC)

Mars

| |

4th

|

142,000,000 mi

(228,000,000 km)

|

4,212 mi

(6,779 km)

|

687 Earth days

(1.88 Earth years)

|

15 mi/sec

(24 km/sec)

|

25 hours

|

carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon

|

2

|

-225 to +70 ºF (-153 to +20 ºC)

Jupiter

| |

5th

|

484,000,000 mi

(778,000,000 km)

| 88,881 mi

(139,822

km)

|

11.8 Earth years

|

8 mi/sec

(13 km/sec)

|

10 hours

|

hydrogen, helium

|

67

|

-234 ºF (-148 ºC)

Saturn

| |

6th

|

886,000,000 mi

(1,427,000,000 km)

| 72,367 mi

(116,464

km)

|

29.5 Earth years

|

6 mi/sec

(10 km/sec)

|

11 hours

|

hydrogen, helium

|

62

|

-288 ºF (-178 ºC)

Uranus

| |

7th

|

1,784,000,000 mi

(2,871,000,000 km)

|

31,518 mi

(50,724 km)

|

84 Earth years

|

4 mi/sec

(7 km/sec)

|

17 hours

|

hydrogen, helium, methane

|

27

|

-357 ºF (-216 ºC)

Neptune

| |

8th

|

2,795,000,000 mi

4,498,000,000 km)

|

30,599 mi

(49,244 km)

|

164 Earth years

|

3 mi/sec

(5 km/sec)

|

16 hours

|

hydrogen, helium, methane

|

14

|

-353 ºF (-214 ºC)

Scientists are constantly discovering new planetary moons and space objects. For the most up-to-date information, check one of NASA’s websites such as: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov

Planet Riddles

Use the Planetary Features Chart to help you solve these planet riddles!

Solar System Fun Facts

• All of the outer planets have rings, with Saturn having the biggest and brightest. Saturn’s spectacular rings are made of billions of bits of ice and rock.
• Uranus actually spins on its side. It is often nicknamed the “sideways planet.”
• Beyond Neptune there is a ring of hundreds of thousands of small, icy objects orbiting the sun. This disk-shaped ring is called the Kuiper (“KI-per”) Belt. There are also many comets in this region—scientists estimate there are a trillion or more.
• Pluto and its moon, Charon, are part of the Kuiper Belt. Pluto was discovered in 1930, and for 76 years it was considered the ninth planet. It was the smallest planet in the solar system, only half the width of the United States and even smaller than Earth’s moon. In 2006, astronomers agreed that Pluto should be called a dwarf planet instead because of its size and unusual orbit. Since its discovery, Pluto has gone only about a third of the way around the sun. It won’t be until the year 2178 that one Plutonian year has gone by!
• The sun is huge compared to the planets. Compared to other stars in the universe, however, the sun is only average in size.
• The sun is the closest star to Earth. Our next closest star is in a star system called Alpha Centauri. The three stars in this system are so far from Earth that if you imagine our sun as a grapefruit (as in this model), they would be about 2500 miles (4000 km) away—about the distance across the United States from coast to coast!

The Star Dome

Here’s another way to explore space: create your own planetarium! The star dome converts the solar system model into a planetarium projector.

1. Take off the top half of the sun sphere. Put the star dome in its place. Make sure the tab on the edge of the star dome fits into the notch on the lower half of the sun sphere.
2. The projected image will look best in a darkened room. If you can, turn off the lights and close the curtains.
3. Switch on the light at the base of the tower. Stars and constellation outlines will be projected onto the walls and ceiling of the room. The farther light travels before hitting a surface, the bigger the image will appear. Try moving the tower closer to and farther from the walls or ceiling to get the best image.

Constellations – Pictures in the Sky

• On a clear, moonless night, you may be able to see thousands of stars. Since ancient times, people have noticed patterns in the stars. A constellation is a group of stars that form a pattern as seen from Earth. Breaking up the thousands of stars visible on a dark night into constellations helps people easily find and remember the names and locations of stars.
• For centuries cultures around the world have divided the night sky into different constellations and have made up stories about the creatures and characters they saw. The Greeks and Romans named their constellations after the gods and heroes in their mythology.
• Other cultures, such as the Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Native American cultures view the evening sky differently. In 1929, the International Astronomical Union divided the stars into 88 official constellations that are used by astronomers today. Most of these constellations come from the Greek and Roman view of the sky. For example, Pegasus is a flying horse from Greek mythology.
• The chart below lists constellations that are on this model’s star dome. Note: Southern Hemisphere constellations are not included.

Northern Hemisphere Constellations

• Andromeda (Andromeda)
• Aquila (Eagle)
• Aries (Ram)
• Auriga (Charioteer)
• Boötes (Herdsman)
• Camelopardalis (Giraffe)
• Cancer (Crab)
• Canes Venatici (Hunting Dogs)
• Canis Minor (Little Dog)
• Cassiopeia (Cassiopeia)
• Cepheus (King)
• Cetus (Sea Monster)
• Coma Berenices (Bernice’s Hair)
• Corona Borealis (Northern Crown)
• Cygnus (Swan)
• Delphinus (Dolphin)
• Draco (Dragon)
• Equuleus (Little Horse)
• Gemini (Twins)
• Hercules (Hercules)
• Hydra (Female Water Snake)
• Lacerta (Lizard)
• Leo (Lion)
• Leo Minor (Little Lion)
• Lynx (Lynx)
• Lyra (Lyre)
• Ophiuchus (Serpent Bearer)
• Orion (Orion/hunter)
• Pegasus (Winged Horse)
• Perseus (Hero)
• Pisces (Fishes)
• Polaris (North Star)
• Sagitta (Arrow)
• Serpens (Serpent)
• Taurus (Bull)
• Triangulum (Triangle)
• Ursa Major (Great Bear)
• Ursa Minor (Little Bear)
• Virgo (Maiden)

not a constellation

What Do You See?

Study the constellations projected on the wall or ceiling. Do you think they resemble the names they’ve been given? Choose a few of the constellations and note what figure or object you see. Perhaps in Ursa Major you see a person waving hello instead of a great bear. Possibly Ursa Minor looks more like a wheelbarrow than a little bear. Or maybe you see a horse instead of a lion in Leo. See what shapes and other figures you can find among the stars!

If You Have a Classroom or Large Group of Kids

Model Planetary Motion

Have students “act out” the movement of the solar system. This activity works best outdoors, in a paved area with plenty of space.

• Before the activity, make nine signs, one for the sun and one for each planet. Write each planet’s name and symbol on a large card or on a sheet of paper. Refer to the Planetary Features Chart on page 4. (The sun’s symbol is located on the sun sphere.)
• Begin the activity by drawing a circle about two feet (0.6 meters) in diameter on the pavement with chalk. This circle will be your sun’s position.
• Next, draw another circle surrounding it. Draw seven more circles, each encircling the previous one. These circles will represent the orbits of the planets. Space the circles widely enough so that students walking along the orbits will not bump into each other.
• Choose students to enact the roles of the sun and the planets. Pass out the cards. The “sun” should stand in the central circle. Each “planet” will walk along its orbital path (counterclockwise) around the sun.
• Here’s the tricky part: The planets and the sun rotate on their axes. They all spin counterclockwise, except for Venus and Uranus, which spin clockwise. The students portraying Venus and Uranus should spin to the right, while the other students spin to the left. Uranus actually spins on its side, but that will be hard to model!
• Tell your “planets” to spin slowly or they’ll dizzily spin out of orbit! In reality, the planets never stop moving but ask your “planets” to rest if they get dizzy.

Model Relative Distances

This activity will help students comprehend the vastness of the solar system by modeling the distance between the planets. Tell students that astronomers use the astronomical unit (AU) to represent the distance between the Earth and the sun—149,597,870,700 meters to be exact, about 150 million kilometers, or 93 million miles. The chart below shows the distance between each planet and the sun, in astronomical units.

This activity works best outdoors, in a gym, or long hallway.

1. Prepare signs for the sun and planets.
2. Remove the planet rods from the central tower in the Motorized Solar System model. Assign each planet to a student.
3. Tell students that they will be modeling astronomical units by taking steps, using the scale 1 step = 1 AU.
4. Set the “sun” on the ground at a designated starting point.
5. Then, have each “planet” refer to the chart and take the appropriate number of steps away from the sun. Have students place their planet rods on the ground, in order, in a line from the sun. Encourage students to take big steps to make room for the planets between the sun and Earth. (A “step” should be at least 2 feet in length.)
6. Once all the planets are in place, have students notice how far they are standing relative to one another. They should be able to see that the inner planets are very close together while Neptune is “way out there.”

For More Information About the Solar System

• https://www.nasa.gov/
• https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/exploring-the-planets/online/
• https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/solarsystem/

Battery Installation

1. Use a screwdriver to carefully open the battery compartment on the bottom of the tower.
2. Install 4 AA batteries as shown in the diagram. Batteries must be installed with the correct polarity.
   • Only use batteries of the same or equivalent type.
   • Alkaline batteries are preferable.
   • Do not mix old and new batteries.
   • Do not mix different types of batteries: alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries.
   • Do not use rechargeable batteries.
   • The supply terminals must not be short-circuited.
   • Do not recharge non-rechargeable batteries.
   • Remove exhausted batteries from the unit.
3. Secure the compartment door.
4. To prevent battery corrosion, it is recommended that the batteries be removed from the unit if it is not in use for two weeks.

Cleaning Instructions

1. Clean the product with a dry or damp cloth.
2. Do not immerse or spray water or other liquids on the product.

© Educational Insights, Gardena, CA (U.S.A.). All rights reserved. Learning Resources Ltd., Bergen Way, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2UG, UK. Please retain the package for future reference. Made in China. educationalinsights.com

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the price of the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy?

The Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy is priced at $34.49.

What are the dimensions of the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy?

The Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy measures 14.7 inches in length, 7.7 inches in width, and 8.4 inches in height.

How much does the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy weigh?

The Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy weighs approximately 2.64 pounds.

What is the item model number for the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy?

The item model number for the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy is 5287.

What type of batteries does the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy require?

The Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy requires 4 AA batteries.

What is the recommended age range for the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy?

The Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy is recommended for children aged 8 to 12 years.

What is the brand of the Motorized Solar System Toy with model number EI-5287?

The brand of the Motorized Solar System Toy with model number EI-5287 is Educational Insights.

How does the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy operate?

The Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy operates using 4 AA batteries, which power its motorized features.

What educational benefits does the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy provide?

The Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy helps children learn about the solar system and planetary movement through interactive play.

What materials are used in the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy?

The Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy is made from durable plastic components designed for educational play.

Why is the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy not rotating?

Ensure that the batteries are correctly installed and fully charged. Check if the on/off switch is functioning and that there are no obstructions preventing the planets from rotating.

What should I do if the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy makes a loud noise while operating?

Inspect the toy for any loose parts or foreign objects in the gear mechanism. Ensure all screws are tightened, and apply a small amount of lubricant to the gears if necessary.

Why are some planets on the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy not lighting up?

Check the connections to each planet to ensure they are securely attached. If individual lights are out, the bulbs may need to be replaced or the wiring checked for continuity.

What can cause the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy to stop suddenly during operation?

Ensure the batteries are not depleted and that they are making proper contact in the battery compartment. Check for any blockages or friction points in the rotating mechanism.

How do I fix the Educational Insights EI-5287 Motorized Solar System Toy if the planets are not aligned correctly?

Manually adjust the planets by gently rotating them into the correct positions. If they do not stay aligned, inspect the attachment points and ensure they are securely fastened.

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