Design a Planet | The Schools' Observatory

There are 8 planets in our Solar System. And there are many thousands of planets orbiting around other stars. We call these planets exoplanets.

So far, Earth is the only planet we know to be habitable. It has the conditions needed to support all kinds of life.

If you designed a habitable exoplanet, what would it be like? How big would it be? Would it be hot or cold? How many moons would it have? What would it be made of? And what would live there?!

By the end of this activity you will:

Have imagined a new planet
Have thought about what conditions are needed to make it habitable
Have created an informative poster
Used drawings, labels and descriptions to share your ideas

To complete this activity you will need:

paper
pencils
coloured crayons
a copy of the worksheet (this is optional, you can make your own)

Files or Documents

Design Your Own Planet Worksheet

An arty and colourful background with planet pictures laid on top, and a women sitting closs-legged thinking.

Approx Duration

15 - 30 mins

Have a go!

Imagine you have discovered a new planet orbiting a star outside the Solar System. The planet is habitable and there are signs of life!

Create an information poster about your planet. Include a drawing, labels, and descriptions so that a passing alien could use your poster to recognise the planet. You can use the template if you want to.

Here are some questions you might want to think about:

How big is your planet and what is it made of?
What is the atmosphere like?
What is the temperature and climate like?
What kinds of life lives there? How are different types of life connected?

What about you?

What would your job be on this planet?
You can be anything you like!
A scientist, a conservationist, a visitor!

If you need some inspiration, you can do some research about searching for life, the planets of our Solar System, and the exoplanets that have been discovered elsewhere. Use the website or have a look at these links:

If you liked this, why not try

Life on Earth

Start a STEM Club

Create a Pocket Solar System

Have a go!

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