Intended Learning Outcome – Provide relevant data to support inferences and conclusions.
Solar System Data Sheet
Planets
Planet
Distance from
Distance
Sun (miles)
Astronomical Unit
Diameter Average Surface
(miles)
Temperature
Mercury
36,000,000
.4
3,032 –300o F. – +800o F.
Venus
67,000,000
.7
7,520
870o F.
Earth
93,000,000
1
7,926
Mars
141,000,000
1.5
4,222
–126o F. – +136o
F.
–67o F. – +80o F.
Jupiter
484,000,000
5.2
88,846
–240o F.
Saturn
887,000,000
9.5
74,898
–290o F.
Uranus
1,780,000,000
19.2
31,763
–360o F.
Neptune
2,870,000,000
30
30,778
–390o F.
*An Astronomical Unit (AU) is equal to the distance to the Sun from Earth (93,000,000 miles).
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Atmosphere
Very, very thin
Very thick; mostly
carbon dioxide
Thick; mostly
nitrogen & oxygen
Thin; mostly carbon
dioxide
Very thick, hydrogen
& helium
Very thick, hydrogen
& helium
Very thick hydrogen,
helium & methane
Very thick hydrogen,
helium & methane
Intended Learning Outcome – Provide relevant data to support inferences and conclusions.
Planets
Planet
Composition
Length of Day
Length of Year
Moons
Rings
Weight
(Earth
(Earth
on Other
hours/days)
days/years)
Worlds*
Mercury
Rocky
59 days
88 days
0
No
.38
Venus
Rocky
243 days
225 days
0
No
.91
Earth
Rocky
24 hours
365 days (1 year)
1
No
1
Mars
Rocky
25 hours
2 years
2
No
.38
Jupiter
Gas Giant
10 hour
12 years
63
2.4
Saturn
Gas Giant
11 hours
29 years
63
Uranus
Gas Giant
17 hours
84 years
27
Neptune
Gas Giant
243 days
165 years
13
Yes
(very faint)
Yes
(very bright)
Yes
(very faint)
Yes
(very faint)
*Multiply weight on Earth by this number to find your weight on other worlds.
2
1.1
.9
1.2
Intended Learning Outcome – Provide relevant data to support inferences and conclusions.
Asteroids
Composition
Locations
Distance from Sun
Number
(millions of miles)
Rocky bodies
Most found between orbit of Mars and
Jupiter; are also found between Mars and the
Sun.
Size Range
Most asteroids are
between 186,000,000
miles to 300,000,000
miles.
Shape
How Seen
From pebbles to 544 miles. Irregular to almost round.
150,000,000 (larger than 100 meters)
Two Largest*
Cannot be seen without a telescope. Pallas – 540 miles
Vesta – 524 miles
*Ceres was the largest asteroid. In 2006, Ceres was classified a dwarf planet.
Main Asteroid
Belt
3
Intended Learning Outcome – Provide relevant data to support inferences and conclusions.
Meteoroids/Meteors/Meteorites
Where They Come
Size Range
From
Definition of a
Definition of a Meteor
Meteoroid
Most come from particles
in the Asteroid Belt.
A few come from particles
left from comets when
Earth crosses their path.
Meteor
Iron Meteorite
Grain of sand to
a round around
10 yards across.
Meteorite
Grain of sand or rock Grain or rock that has
that is travelling in
entered the atmosphere
space.
(sometimes called
“shooting” or “falling”
star.)
Meteoroid
Stony Meteorite
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Definition of a
A meteor that is large
enough to survive the
trip through the
atmosphere and hit the
Earth’s surface.
Meteor
Iron Meteorite
Intended Learning Outcome – Provide relevant data to support inferences and conclusions.
Comets
Composition
Water ice, dry ice, ammonia ice, dirt, and
rocks. Are also called “dirty snowballs”
or “icy dirtballs.”
Number
Unknown. Estimated to be over one
trillion.
How Seen
Some comets are bright enough to be
seen without a telescope. A telescope is
needed to see most comets.
Parts of a Comet
Nucleus
Coma
The actual comet; the “dirty snowball.”
Gases that vaporize and surround the
nucleus as the comet gets close to the
Sun.
Tail
Made of dust particles and gases pushed
away from the comet by the solar wind;
always points away from the Sun.
Coma
Nucleus
Tail
5
Intended Learning Outcome – Provide relevant data to support inferences and conclusions.
Where Comets Begin Their Journey
Kuiper Belt
Where Found
Distance From Sun
Number
Size
(miles)
Outside of Neptune’s Closest – 2,790,000,000
orbit
Farthest – 4,650,000,000
Note – Kuiper Belt objects cannot be seen without a telescope.
Where Found
Period (One
orbit of Sun)
> 1,000,000,000,000,000
Small chunks to 62
miles across.
< 200 years
Size
Period (One
Oort Cloud
Distance From Sun
Number
(miles)
orbit of Sun)
Border of Kuiper
Closest – 186,000,000,000
> 2,000,000,000,000,000 (?)
Belt to 1 light year.* Farthest – 6,000,000,000,000
Note – Oort Cloud objects cannot be seen.
*A light year is the distance light travels in one year – 6,000,000,000,000 miles (six trillion).
(source: American Museum of Natural History)
6
Small chunks to 62
miles across.
> 200 years
Intended Learning Outcome – Provide relevant data to support inferences and conclusions.
Principles of Gravity
Key Terms
Force – A push or a pull.
Gravitational Force – The pull that gravity has on an object.
Gravity – The power that attracts one object to another.
Mass – The amount of matter in an object.
Key Points





Gravity is the force that holds the universe together.
Anything that has mass has gravity.
Everything in the universe has gravity.
The more mass an object has, the stronger its gravitational pull.
The less mass an object has, the weaker its gravitational pull.
Your Weight on Other Worlds
World
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Moon
Mars
Multiply your weight by this number.
27
.38
.91
.16
.38
World
Multiply your weight by this number.
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
2.4
1.1
.91
1.2
7
Intended Learning Outcome – Provide relevant data to support inferences and conclusions.
Why do planets have longer or shorter years depending on their distance from the Sun?






Closer to the Sun, the stronger the Suns’ gravitational pull; farther from the Sun.
Closer to the Sun – planet moves faster and is not pulled into the Sun by its gravity.
Closer to the Sun, the path the planet follows is shorter.
Farther from the Sun, the weaker the Sun’s gravitational pull.
Farther from the Sun – planet moves slower and is not pulled into the Sun by its gravity.
Farther form the Sun, the path the planet follows is longer.
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