This week, we learned about the scale of the solar system and the general motion of the planets, dwarf planets, and comets. We first used a video and our own meter stick to see the scale of the solar system if the Sun was the size of a soccer ball. We then, talked about the shape of the orbitals and looked at the numbers that help define the shape.

In our activity, we used the numbers and laws about the shape of planetary orbits to draw out the orbits of Neptune, Pluto, and Haley's Comet. The students worked together to draw out the orbits and discuss the differences in shapes. They even began making predictions. They also made some keen observations about the objects. Haley's Comet comes really close to the Sun, but then it shoots away. Neptune and Pluto have very different orbits!

Hint: This is one reason Pluto isn't a planet. Neptune's orbit is basically a perfect circle. 
We talked about why planets don't have perfectly circular orbits, but we also talked about why they keep orbiting the Sun in predictable paths.