Our Solar System
Saima Ahmed
Prof. Haley – EDCI 519
Site Map
Mercury
Jupiter
Venus
Moon
Earth
Saturn
Mars
Uranus
Neptune
Useful Links - Acknowledgements
Pluto
Sun – Our Star
Astronomical Symbol for Sun
Comet flying past our Sun
The Sun is the star of our Solar System
All planets revolve around the Sun
Sun is made up of 92.1% hydrogen and 7.8% helium
It is extremely hot with a surface temperature of 10,000 F
Size of Sun compared to the planets
Sooraj – Humara Sitara
Astronomical Symbol for Sun
Comet flying past our Sun
The Sun is the star of our Solar System
All planets revolve around the Sun
Sun is made up of 92.1% hydrogen and 7.8% helium
It is extremely hot with a surface temperature of 10,000 F
Size of Sun compared to the planets
Mercury
Astronomical Symbol for Mercury
Mercury, the messenger of the Roman gods
Planet closest to the Sun – Second smallest planet
Mercury has no moons
Speeds around sun faster than any planet (every 88 days)
Surface temperature during daytime = 800 F
Surface temperature during nighttime = -280 F
Mercurio
Astronomical Symbol for Mercury
Mercury, the messenger of the Roman gods
Planet closest to the Sun – Second smallest planet
Mercury has no moons
Speeds around sun faster than any planet (every 88 days)
Surface temperature during daytime = 800 F
Surface temperature during nighttime = -280 F
More Facts and Figures
Image of Caloris Basin taken by Mariner 10
A complex crater marked by
terraces and a central peak
back
Venus
Astronomical Symbol for Venus
Image of terrain on Venus
taken by the Magellan spacecraft
Similar to Earth in size, density and composition
Planet closest to the Earth – It has no moons
Covered by a thick rapidly spinning atmosphere
Surface temperature hot enough to melt lead
Surface pressure 90 times that of Earth
Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty
Nogah
Astronomical Symbol for Venus
Image of terrain on Venus
taken by the Magellan spacecraft
Similar to Earth in size, density and composition
Planet closest to the Earth – It has no moons
Covered by a thick rapidly spinning atmosphere
Surface temperature hot enough to melt lead
Surface pressure 90 times that of Earth
Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty
More Facts and Figures
Magellan image showing the
terrain elevation on Venus
Impact craters
back
Earth – Our Planet
Astronomical Symbol for Earth
Weather patterns on Earth
Satellite image of El Nino in Pacific
Third planet in our Solar System from the Sun
Only known planet to support life
A complex interactive system of air, water, land and life
Earth is the only planet
whose English name
does not derive From
Greek/Roman mythology
Zamin – Humara Sayara
Astronomical Symbol for Earth
Weather patterns on Earth
Satellite image of El Nino in Pacific
Third planet in our Solar System from the Sun
Only known planet to support life
A complex interactive system of air, water, land and life
Earth is the only planet
whose English name
does not derive From
Greek/Roman mythology
Earth’s Moon
Astronomical Symbol for Moon
Apollo 12 astronaut
Charles Conrad visits Surveyor 3,
a robotic spacecraft that landed
on the moon three years earlier
First step of man on the Moon
July 1969
Earth’s only natural satellite
384, 400 km away from Earth (Are we there yet?)
Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the lunar surface
Earth viewed from the Moon
Zamin ka Chand
Astronomical Symbol for Moon
Apollo 12 astronaut
Charles Conrad visits Surveyor 3,
a robotic spacecraft that landed
on the moon three years earlier
First step of man on the Moon
July 1969
Earth’s only natural satellite
384, 400 km away from Earth (Are we there yet?)
Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the lunar surface
Earth viewed from the Moon
Mars
Astronomical Symbol for Mars
False color (blue) shows where
water ice is buried beneath the
martian surface in this Mars
Odyssey image
Mars rover photographed
its empty landing platform
after it rolled onto the
surface of Mars at
Gusev Crater
Mars has the largest volcanic mountain in the Solar System
Mars could have large amount of water ice close to surface
Red color of Martian soil is due to the presence of iron oxides
Mars has two moons
Named after Roman god of war
Sphere like grains that once may
have formed in water appear blue
in this false color image taken by
Mars rover Opportunity near its
landing site
Ares
Astronomical Symbol for Mars
False color (blue) shows where
water ice is buried beneath the
martian surface in this Mars
Odyssey image
Mars rover photographed
its empty landing platform
after it rolled onto the
surface of Mars at
Gusev Crater
Mars has the largest volcanic mountain in the Solar System
Mars could have large amount of water ice close to surface
Red color of Martian soil is due to the presence of iron oxides
Mars has two moons
Named after Roman god of war
Sphere like grains that once may
have formed in water appear blue
in this false color image taken by
Mars rover Opportunity near its
landing site
More Facts and Figures
Chances are that life may exist on
Mars, but not likely in the form
Hollywood would prefer
Life would probably be as
single or multi-cell organisms
You should be able to
dunk the basketball on Mars
Its gravity is 1/3rd of Earth’s
Gullies suggest that water
has recently flowed on Mars
At the Martian equator, the
temperature at your feet will be like
a warm spring day, but at head level
it would be freezing
Mars rover Opportunity landed near the ‘Endurance Crater’
back
Jupiter
Astronomical Symbol for Jupiter
The king of gods in Roman
mythology
The most massive planet in our Solar System
Four planet sized moons and many smaller moons (total = 62)
Jupiter has the largest number of moons in the Solar System
Atmosphere comprises of hydrogen and helium
Jupiter’s ring system
Mushtarie
Astronomical Symbol for Jupiter
The king of gods in Roman
mythology
The most massive planet in our Solar System
Four planet sized moons and many smaller moons (total = 62)
Jupiter has the largest number of moons in the Solar System
Atmosphere comprises of hydrogen and helium
Jupiter’s ring system
More Facts and Figures
Voyager 1 image of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot
The Great Red Spot is a hurricane-like storm system
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is large
enough to hold three Earths
back
Saturn
Astronomical Symbol for Saturn
Roman god of agriculture
Galileo Galilei discovered Saturn in 1610
Saturn is 755 times larger than Earth
Rings of Saturn extend hundreds of thousands kilometer
Rings are made of mostly water ice and rocks
Saturn has 47 known moons
An ultraviolet image of
Saturn’s ring show more water
At the outer edge of the rings
Kayvon
Astronomical Symbol for Saturn
Roman god of agriculture
Galileo Galilei discovered Saturn in 1610
Saturn is 755 times larger than Earth
Rings of Saturn extend hundreds of thousands kilometer
Rings are made of mostly water ice and rocks
Saturn has 47 known moons
An ultraviolet image of
Saturn’s ring show more water
At the outer edge of the rings
More Facts and Figures
Saturn is less dense than water. It
could float in a bathtub if a bathtub
large enough for it could be built
Cassini spacecraft image showing the
true color of Saturn rings
back
Uranus
Astronomical Symbol for Uranus
The dark ‘polar hood’ of Uranus
showing a veil of ice and dust
Uranus is 2870.97 million km away from the Sun
Uranus has 27 known moons
The moons are mostly named after works of Shakespeare and Pope
Named after the Greek supreme god
Image from the Keck Observatory showing
the ring of Uranus
Urano
Astronomical Symbol for Uranus
The dark ‘polar hood’ of Uranus
showing a veil of ice and dust
Uranus is 2870.97 million km away from the Sun
Uranus has 27 known moons
The moons are mostly named after works of Shakespeare and Pope
Named after the Greek supreme god
Image from the Keck Observatory showing
the ring of Uranus
Neptune
Astronomical Symbol for Neptune
Voyager 2’s image of Neptune’s
mysterious Great Dark Spot
The clouds in the image have been
estimated to be about 31 miles tall
Neptune is 4.5 billion km away from Sun
Neptune was located through mathematical prediction rather than direct observation
Atmosphere comprises of hydrogen, helium and methane
Effective temperature = -353 F
Neptune has 13 known moons
Named after the Roman god of sea
Neptun
Astronomical Symbol for Neptune
Voyager 2’s image of Neptune’s
mysterious Great Dark Spot
The clouds in the image have been
estimated to be about 31 miles tall
Neptune is 4.5 billion km away from Sun
Neptune was located through mathematical prediction rather than direct observation
Atmosphere comprises of hydrogen, helium and methane
Effective temperature = -353 F
Neptune has 13 known moons
Named after the Roman god of sea
Pluto
Astronomical Symbol for Pluto
Pluto’s moon Charon is nearly
half its own size – large!
Named after the Roman god of the underworld
Pluto is the smallest , coldest and most distant planet
Pluto is mostly brown and is probably covered with methane frost
Surface temperature = -387 to -369 F
One known moon named Charon
One Pluto year = 248 Earth years
Pluton
Astronomical Symbol for Pluto
Pluto’s moon Charon is nearly
half its own size – large!
Named after the Roman god of the underworld
Pluto is the smallest , coldest and most distant planet
Pluto is mostly brown and is probably covered with methane frost
Surface temperature = -387 to -369 F
One known moon named Charon
One Pluto year = 248 Earth years
Useful Links - Acknowledgements
The material used in this hypermedia presentation was obtained from the
following websites. The permission to use the material for educational
purposes is gratefully acknowledged. Users are encouraged to follow the
links for more detailed information on our Solar System
http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
http://hubblesite.org
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/
More Solar System related fun stuff, games and quizzes can be found at:
http://kidsatronomy.com/solar_system.htm
http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/proj/space/quiz.htm