Transcript Slide 1
The Solar System A Brief Tour By students of Fiona and Mark Introduction to the Solar System Mercury • • • • • • Closest to the Sun Small planet No atmosphere Huge temperature differences Many craters Mercury has been known about since before Christ was born (3rd millenium BC) • Has been visited by ONE spacecraft only Venus • • • • • • Sister to Earth Evening Star Deadly planet Thick clouds Known about since pre-historic times Visited by more than 20 spacecraft Earth and the Moon • • • • • Water world Rich ecosystem Large moon Earth third planet from the sun Moon known about since pre-historic times • Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite Mars • • • • • • • • • Half the size of Earth Thin atmosphere Rusty rocks 2 tiny moons Life on Mars? Fourth planet from the sun Fifth largest planet Known since pre-historic times Very interesting terrain Jupiter • • • • • • • • Biggest planet Gas giant Great Red Spot 60 moons Fourth brightest object in the sky Known since pre-historic times Visited by 6 spacecraft Regularly observed by the Hubble Space Telescope Saturn • • • • • • • Second largest planet Gas giant Ring system Biggest moon – Titan Sixth planet from the Sun Known since pre-historic times Visited by four spacecraft Uranus and Neptune • Uranus – no visible features • Seventh planet from the Sun and third largest • Discovered by telescope in 1781 • Neptune – Great Dark Spot • Eigthth planet from the Sun and fourth largest • First observed in 1846 Pluto • • • • • • Smallest planet Very distant No spacecraft have visited One moon – Charon Discovered in 1930 by accident Surface temperature varies between -235 c and -210 c Planets and their Moons Planets closest to the Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars No Moon No Moon The Moon Phobos and Deimos Planets and their Moons Planets furthest from the sun Saturn Uranus Titan Ophelia Rhea Cordelia Pluto Charon Neptun Jupiter Europa Triton Ganymede Naiad Bibliography • www.nineplanets.org/ “The nine planets of the Solar System Tour” • www.solarviews.com/eng/homepage. htm “Views of the Solar System” • www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/our_ solar_system/solar_system.html • Google.’Solar System’ News results for Solar System – view today’s top stories Credits • Individual images from – National Space Science Data Center – NASA