English Solar System Sun Earth Moon Orbital Model, Educational Planetarium Project Kit for Science Astronomy Teaching, Earth Moon Sun Rotation Model for Kids

This thing is great, but you MUST follow the instructions to get it calibrated. You must take the Earth off, then set it to Summer Solstice, then put the Earth back on and have it right over the 180º mark. If you do this, the entire Earth is illuminated by the Sun (on one side only, obviously). Ignore the bad reviews, you just have to follow the instructions to calibrate it correctly and then everything is golden. I am using this to show a second grade class how eclipses work in an astronomy presentation. This is perfect.

Was a great addition to our moon phase lesson and all the kids loved trying it out to see how the moon orbits the earth and we orbit the sun. Easy to use, pretty sturdy and great visual. The only thing I wish was changed was the hole where the led light shines from towards the earth —> that could be bigger so there could be actual light reflecting on the moon to show light and shadow for the phases. It’s so small that it only shines a little circle on the earth. Price point is ok, but definitely does its job so was worth it in the end.

As a science teacher I needed a model to show students how the earth, sun, and moon interact that includes seasons and eclipses. Pros: accurately reflects rotation and revolution of planetary bodies. Cons: the screws that came with it don't fit properly. If they sat inside the holes they would be long enough. But they sit on top and aren't long enough to put the nuts on them. I had to go through and redo all the screws on the earth and moon portion to stop it from wobbling. Finally, the light from the sun doesn't line up on the earth purposely due to the way the earth spins. It's a minor thing, but annoying. The labels on the seasons wheel are kinda weird and definitely don't match where I live. I will have to go through and make changes to it. Overall: it's better than what I could build without gears, but needs several improvements that can be done yourself. With what I paid and what I have to do to fix it, the cost should be far less.

This was a little tricky to put together and the movements are jerky, but it will do for my elementary science classes as long as I’m the one who demos.

You have to put the screws that connect the sun piece to the earth piece in from the bottom. The nuts go on top. The nuts fit perfectly into a hex shaped hole and the wider screw top helps to hold the piece in place from the bottom.

Not really liking this one. Grandson does. It was really hard to put together. The slots didn't want to go in. Once it's put together no way of taking it apart. My husband thought it would be good for our grandson since he is asking alot about space, earth and anything to do with space. Don't know if it's worth the money. It's a starter for your kid if they want to learn about the season's, earth, and the sun.

We took our 6 year old to see the total eclipse this year. We saw this model at one of the educational tables we visited at an eclipse event and decided to get it for his room. It looks great and it gives him a chance to explain how an eclipse works whenever we have guests. We love for him to be excited about science😁

First, ignore the “wrong screws” reviews. They are putting them in wrong. Simply use the screws upside down from what you think. In regards to the model, it’s fun for basic understanding. It has about a 15 day sloppiness due to the loose fittings. Mfg could have easily fixed that. The sun light bulb casts light onto about 1/3 of the earth. And does not shine on the moon at all unless it’s positioned directly in front of earth. Again, this is a $40 toy… not a scientifically accurate model. Keep that in mind.