TOC: The Nine Planets &
Other Space Objects
12/8/12
Starter:
Calculate the density of an object that has a
volume of 75ml and a mass of 450g.
I.
Next, calculate the density of this object if its
volume changed to 900.
II. Practice:The Nine
Planets & Other Space
Objects
 Write Planets Notes in this section
THE NINE PLANETS & OTHER
SPACE OBJECTS
Solar System is divided into 2
parts
 Inner Planets: Terrestrial
Planets
 Outer Planets: Gas Giants
Terms to Remember !!!
 1 Revolution = 1 trip around the sun = 1 year
 1 Rotation = 1 complete spin = 1 day
Terrestrial Planets
 Mercury
 Venus
 Earth
 Mars
Terrestrial Planets
 Mercury - closest to sun
 Weight 38% of what you weigh on Earth (less
gravity)
 Year – 1 revolution is 88 days long!!!
(Birthday every 88 days!!!)
 Day – 1 rotation takes 58 earth days
 Diameter 4,879 km
 Venus - Second from sun
 Weight 91% of what you weigh on Earth
(less gravity)
 Year – 1 revolution is 244 days, 17
hours!!!
 Day – 1 rotation takes 243 earth days
 Diameter 12,104 km
 Earth - third from sun
 Weight 100% of what you weigh on Earth
 Year – 1 revolution is 365 days, 6 hours!!!
 Day – 1 rotation takes 24 hours, 56 minutes
 Diameter 12,756 km
Mars - fourth from sun
 Weight 38 % of what you weigh on Earth
 Year – 1 revolution is 687 days!!!
 Day – 1 rotation takes 24 hours, 37
minutes
 Diameter 6794 km
Gass Giants
 Jupiter
 Saturn
 Neptune
 Uranus
Gas Giants
Jupiter - fifth from sun
 Weight 236 % of what you weigh on Earth
 Year – 1 revolution is 11 years, 313 days!!!
 Day – 1 rotation takes 9 hours, 50 minutes
 Diameter 142,984 km
Saturn - sixth from sun
 Weight 92 % of what you weigh on Earth
 Year – 1 revolution is 29 years, 155 days!!!
(29 years before you have a
birthday!!!!!!!)
 Day – 1 rotation takes 10 hours, 30
minutes
 Diameter 120,536 km
 Rings- made of icy particles
Uranus - seventh from sun
 Weight 89 % of what you weigh on Earth
 Year – 1 revolution is 83 years, 274 days!!!
 Day – 1 rotation takes 17 hours, 14
minutes
 Diameter 51,118 km
Neptune- eighth from sun
 Weight 112 % of what you weigh on Earth
 Year – 1 revolution is 163 years, 263 days!!!
 Day – 1 rotation takes 16 hours, 7 minutes
 Diameter 49,528 km
Planet sizes (to scale)
What do you notice at first glance about the
difference of terrestrial and gas giants?
Terrestrial Versus Gas Giant
Terrestrial
Gas Giant
Location in the Solar
System
Close to Sun
Far from Sun
Size (or radius)
Small
Large
Density
Very Dense (sink)
Not Dense (float)
Structure
Solid Surfaces & Cores
Gassy Surfaces/ Solid Core
Chem Composition
Heavy Elements (Metals)
Hydrogen & Helium
Atmosphere
Thin
Thick
Exterior
Warm
Cold
Rotation
Slow
Fast
Moons
Few
Many
Rings
No
Yes
Moons
 Satellites or natural bodies hat
revolve around a larger body
 All planets have moons except
Mercury and Venus
 Jupiters Moons - Galilean Moons
 discovered in 1610 by Galileo
 Io – most volcanic object in solar system
 Europa - may have liquid water beneath
its icy surface
 Ganymede - largest of the four, larger
than Mercury
 Callisto – third largest moon in solar
system, made of rock and ice
Comets
 Small body of ice, rock, and cosmic dust
loosely packed together
 When comet comes close enough to the sun,
it heats up and gives off gas and dust in the
form of a tail
 Elliptical orbit around the sun
Asteroid
 Small rocky bodies that
revolve around the sun
 Up to 900 km in diameter
 Mostly spherical
 Found in between Mars
and Jupiter in the Asteroid
Belt
Meteoroid
 Small rocky boy that
revolves around the sun
 Smaller than asteroids
(pieces of asteroids)
 Becomes a Meteorite
when it hits the surface of
Earth
 Shooting Star- Meteors are bright streaks of
light that occur when a meteoroid or comet
burns in the atmosphere
 Meteor Showers - when Earth passes
through dusty debris that comets leave
behind
III. Application:
 Complete and glue in your foldable into this
section.
IV. Connection
 Why is studying other planets important ?
How does it help us learn more about our
planet?
V.Exit
 Summarize everything you learned. Include
any questions you may still have.