Our Solar System
•Composed of 8 planets, their moons, various comets,
asteroids & other objects that revolve around a star
•A planet is a large space object that moves in a curved
path around a star.
•The solar system contains large clouds of dust and gas.
The study of the
universe or outer space
is called Astronomy.
http://youtu.be/svvwv5oAf4I
4 min
Inner Planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars
•Closest to the Sun
•Terrestrial – hard, rocky surfaces
•small
http://youtu.be/YFsB8KKlP4I
8 min
Outer Planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune
•Farthest from the Sun
•Ice and Gas Giants
•All have rings and many moons
http://youtu.be/43SHCRv4wdw
8 min
http://youtu.be/vU5_aYlaXa8
Moons in out Solar System - 4 min
Moons
•A moon is a natural object that revolves around a planet.
•Satellite
•Mercury & Venus have no moons.
•Most moons are made of solid material.
Miranda – one of Uranus’s
Callisto – one of Jupiter’s
Io – one of Jupiter’s
Asteroids
•Large pieces of space rock
with irregular shapes
•??Left over material from the
formation of the solar system
•Most are found in the
asteroid belt between Mars &
Jupiter.
•They can collide with objects
creating huge craters.
http://youtu.be/MO2LFSifklE
2 min Vesta – large asteroid
Comets
•Space bodies made up of ice, dust and small, gritty
particles (dirty snowballs)
•The ice turns to gas, producing a streak called the tail.
•The comet’s tail always points away from the Sun.
•Most comets come from the Oort cloud, which is located
at the outer edge of our solar system.
http://youtu.be/rsTE6pV4wpU
What are Comets? 3 min.
http://youtu.be/4nH_mAObnZc
2 min. Halley’s Comet
Meteoroids
•In space – meteoroids – with the asteroids
•In our atmosphere – meteors – burning up
•On the land – meteorites – all right
•Pieces of rock or dust that are smaller than asteroids
•When entering the Earth’s atmosphere, they usually burn
up & produce streaks of light – meteors – shooting stars.
•Those that land on the Earth’s surface are called
meteorites.
http://youtu.be/kAJHVII3_-0
2 min – Difference between M, A & Comets
Rotation
•The movement of a space object turning on its axis.
Period of rotation – the amount
of time it takes for an object to
rotate once
Revolution
•The movement of a body in space around another body
•Orbit – the path of a body in space revolving around
another body
Mercury
•Inner planet
•Closest to the Sun
•Terrestrial – solid & rocky
•Smallest planet
•Slow rotation
•Fast revolution
•No water
•Thin atmosphere
•No moons
God of Speed
1
2
Goddess of Love
Venus
•Inner planet
•Terrestrial
•Hottest planet
•Earth’s twin (about the same size)
•No moon
•Thick atmosphere (CO²) traps the heat from the Sun
Goddess of Earth – Terra Mater
Earth
•Inner planet
•Terrestrial
•3rd rock from the Sun
•Only planet that supports life
•75% covered with water
3
4
God of War
Mars
•Inner planet
•Terrestrial
•Thin atmosphere
•“Red Planet” – due to the red soil & rocks (iron oxide)
•Largest volcano in the solar system – Olympus Mons
•2 moons – Phobos & Deimos
•Most studied planet (besides Earth) in the solar system
Asteroid Belt
•Found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
God of Sky & Thunder
5
Jupiter
•Outer planet – Gas Giants
•Largest planet
•Mostly hydrogen & helium
•Does not have solid surface
•Rotates very fast
•Thin set of rings
•66 moons
•Large red spot – huge storm
Saturn
•Outer planet – gas giant
•2nd largest planet
•Largest system of rings
•62 moons – Titan (largest)
•Jewel of the Solar System
6
Roman God for Farming
Uranus
•Outer planet – Gas Giant
•Very cold
•Tipped over on its side
•Has rings and many moons
•Retrograde rotation
7
God of the Sky
Neptune
God of the water and sea
•Outer planet – Gas Giant
•Most distant from the Sun
•165 years for one revolution around the Sun
•Has rings and many moons
•Triton, largest moon, revolves backward/retrograde
8
Pluto
•Dwarf planet
•Half the size of Mercury
•Made of ice and rock
•Thin atmosphere
•4 moons
God of the Underworld
http://youtu.be/Xwjg1oX5pD4
8 min. Solar System’s 10 Most incredible Moons
http://youtu.be/Y2ijS8jY4F4
6 min. What is out Solar System?
http://youtu.be/nQfJ7j2UGGk
Planets Around a Star SONG – 4 min
Mr. Parr
http://youtu.be/ZTW1wuQcyPo
5 min – 2013 – The Year of the Comets
Created by M. Brumbaugh
2012 – TCMS