Transcript SOLAR SYSTEM

SOLAR SYSTEM
• The Sun
• Eight Major Planets
• 3 Dwarf Planets
• Sixty-one satellites of the planets
• Many Comets and asteroids
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Norm Herr (sample file)
SUN
• 75% hydrogen and 25% helium by mass
• Nuclear Fusion in Core
• Hydrogens conbine to produce helium and energy
H + H  He + ENERGY
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Norm Herr (sample file)
MERCURY
• Closest to sun
• Appears to travel fastest
• Smallest planet
• No atmosphere
– Cold at night, hot in day
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VENUS
• Close in size to Earth
• Brightest
• Thick atmosphere (holds in heat)
• 400 oC
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Norm Herr (sample file)
EARTH
• period of rotation: 24 hours
• period of orbit 365.25 days
• LIFE
– liquid water
– Protective atmosphere
– oxygen
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Norm Herr (sample file)
MARS
• Solid carbon dioxide is found at the poles
• Mars is known as the Red Planet
• Lots of Rust! (Iron Oxide)
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Norm Herr (sample file)
JUPITER
• Largest Planet
• It is about 11 times the radius and
330 times the mass of the earth.
• a ball of gas and liquid (mostly
hydrogen and helium).
• GIANT RED SPOT = Hurricane
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SATURN
•
•
Saturn:
–
gas giant.
–
strong surface winds (500 m/sec)
–
Rings, Rings, Rings
The Most Moons:
–
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Titan is the big one, and is larger than planet Mercury!
Norm Herr (sample file)
URANUS
• Sideways planet
• Thin ,faint rings of
rock, and or ice
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NEPTUNE
• The blue coloration is probably due to the presence of
methane
• Farthest planet
Note the apparent storms
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Norm Herr (sample file)
PLUTO
• Pluto is very small as planets go, only 0.002 Earth
masses.
(neither terrestrial or a gas Giant)
• From 1979 to 1999 was closer to sun than Neptune!!
A dwarf planet
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Norm Herr (sample file)
PLANET DEFINITION:
• Orbits the Sun (or a star)
• Its orbit is clear of other objects
• Has sufficient gravity to cause it to be round
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Norm Herr (sample file)
Sample Quiz Questions
Question: Which of the planets are rocky?
Answer: The inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars
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Norm Herr (sample file)
Sample Question 2
• Which of the planets has the most satellites?
Saturn!
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Norm Herr (sample file)
NATURAL SATELLITES
• WHICH PLANET HAS THE MOST
25 MOONS?
20
Mercury
Earth
Mars
Jupite r
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
15
10
5
0
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Herr (sample file)
Number Norm
of Moons