Transcript The Solar System

The Solar System
The Planets
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The sun is at the center of our solar
system and all planets orbit around it.
The planets are subdivided into two
categories: the inner planets and the
outer planets
The Inner Planets
The inner planets are the four planets
closest to the sun.
 They are also known as the terrestrial
(earthlike) planets because they all have
rocky crust, dense mantle layers, and very
dense cores.
 These planets include Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars.
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Mercury
The planet closest to the sun
 Orbits the sun in just 88 days
 Rotates on its axis once every 59 days
 The smallest of the inner planets, it
diameter is 38% that of earth.
 Temperature: 790* F during the day
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- 274* F at night
Mercury
Venus
The second planet from the sun.
 Known as Earth’s sister planet because
they are so similar in diameter, mass and
gravity
 Makes one rotation on its axis once every
243 days
 Orbits the sun in 225 days.
 Temperature: 860* F
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Venus
Mars
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The fourth planet from the sun.
It’s diameter is half that of Earth
Mars takes 687 days to orbit the sun.
It’s gravity is two fifths of Earth’s.
It’s atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide
Temperature: 79* F to 215* F
Moons: 2
Has a red appearance due to the iron oxide in
it’s rocks
Mars
The Outer Planets
Separated from the inner planets by an
asteroid belt
 All four planets are gaseous, and are
much less dense than Earth
 All four are much larger than Earth
 Each of them ring systems that surround
them
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Jupiter
The fifth planet from the sun.
 It makes an orbit around the sun once
every 11.9 years
 It has the fastest rotation of all the planets
at just under ten hours
 Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar
system
 Temperature: - 238* F
 Moons: 63
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Jupiter
Saturn
The sixth planet from the sun
 Takes 30 years to make one orbit around
the sun
 Saturn has the lowest density of any
planet.
 It would actually float on water
 Temperature: -290* F
 Moons: 57
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Saturn
Uranus
The seventh planet from the sun.
 It takes 84 years to make an orbit around
the sun
 Makes a rotation on its axis once every
17.2 hours
 Temperature: -353* F
 Moons: 27
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Uranus
Neptune
The farthest planet from the sun
 It takes 165 years to orbit the sun
 It makes a rotation on its once every 16.1
hours
 Temperature: - 364* F
 Moons: 13
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Neptune
Earth
Earth’s Statistics
Diameter: 7,926 miles at the equator
 Circumference: 24, 900 miles at the
equator
 Rotation (day): 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4
seconds
 Revolution (year): 365.25 days
 Temperature: 59 F (average)
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Earth’s Statistics
As the Earth revolves around the sun it
travels at a speed of 67,000 miles per
hour.
 Earth is tilted on its magnetic axis at angle
of 23.5 degrees
 This tilt is responsible for Earth’s seasons.
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Earth
Solstice – the two times each year that the
earth’s tilt makes the sun reach it’s
greatest angle north or south of the
equator, marking the start of summer or
winter
 Summer solstice - June 21st (longest day
of the year in Northern hemisphere)
 Winter solstice – December 21st (shortest
day of the year in Northern Hemisphere)
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Earth
Equinox – the two times each year that the
sun is directly over the equator and day
and night are equal length all over the
world: it’s also the start of spring and fall
 Spring Equinox- March 20th
 Fall equinox- September 22nd
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Earth’s Moon
Moon’s statistic’s
Diameter: 2,156 miles
 Distance from Earth: 238,600 miles
 Rotation: 27 days 8hrs
 Revolution around Earth: 27 days 8hrs
 Temperature: 225*F (day) -243* F (night)
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Moon Phases
New moon- the side of the moon facing
the earth is completely dark, because the
moon is between the earth and the sun
 Full moon- the side of the moon facing the
earth is completely lighted; the earth is
between the sun and moon
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Moon phases
Waning- describes the moon after a full
moon as its visible lighted area gets
smaller during the lunar cycle
 Waxing- describes the moon after a new
moon as its visible lighted area gets larger
during the lunar cycle
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Moon Phases
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