Transcript Our Solar System

Our Solar System
A Write On Activity
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
Tennessee Standard:
Content Standard: 7.0 Earth and Its
Place in the Universe
 The student will investigate the
structure of the universe.
Learning Expectations:
 7.1 Recognize the basic
components of the universe.
Our Solar System
Our solar system is made up
of:
 Sun – Star in the center of a
solar system.
 Nine planets
 Their moons – a natural
satellite that orbits a primary
planet.
 Asteroids
 Comets
Terrestrial vs. Gaseous Planets
Terrestrial
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1.
2.
3.
4.
Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars
Rocky
 More dense
Smaller
More closely spaced
Closer to the Sun
Gaseous
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1.
Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune
Gaseous, has more
He and H

2.
3.
4.
Less dense (Saturn
would float)
Larger
Spaced farther apart
Farther from the Sun
4
Inner Planets
The inner four rocky
planets at the center
of the solar system
are:
 Mercury
 Venus
 Earth
 Mars
Mercury
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Planet nearest the sun
Second smallest planet
Covered with craters
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As a result of having no atmosphere
to protect it from foreign objects
hitting its surface.
Has no moons or rings
About size of Earth’s moon
Venus
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Sister planet to Earth
Has no moons or rings
Hot, thick atmosphere
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High composition of CO2
Very hot
Brightest object in sky besides sun
and moon (looks like bright star)
Covered with craters, volcanoes,
and mountains
Earth
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Third planet from sun
Only planet known to have life and
liquid water
Atmosphere composed of composed of
Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), and
other gases (1%).
Due to its position in the solar system
relative to the sun and composition of
atmosphere it makes it an ideal planet
for supporting life.
Mars
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Fourth planet from sun
Appears as bright reddish color in
the night sky
Surface features volcanoes and
huge dust storms
Has 2 moons
Most studied planet other than
earth.

This is because its characteristics are
closest to being able to support life.
ASTEROID BELT
•Most asteroids can be found in the Asteroid Belt, which is
located between Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids are rocky and
metallic objects that orbit the Sun, but are too small to be
considered planets. They are known as minor planets.
Asteroids range in size from Ceres, which has a diameter of
about 1000 km, down to the size of pebbles.
Asteroids
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Small bodies
Believed to be left
over from the
beginning of the solar
system billions of
years ago
100,000 asteroids lie
in belt between Mars
and Jupiter
Largest asteroids
have been given
names
Meteoroids and Meteorite
Meteoroids are loose dust particles that come from Comeroid. Most are
Very small. When it enters Earth’s atmosphere it forms a bright light, a
shooting star. Most meteoroids break up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
When they break up it is called a meteorite.
Comets
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They are like dirty
snowballs
Small icy bodies
Travel past the Sun
Give off gas and dust
as they pass by
Outer Planets
The outer planets
composed of gas are :
 Jupiter
 Saturn
 Uranus
 Neptune
Jupiter
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Largest planet in solar
system
Brightest planet in sky
60+ moons
Strong magnetic field
Giant red spot
Has small Rings
Saturn
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6th planet from sun
Beautiful set of rings
31 moons
Largest moon, Titan,
Easily visible in the night
sky
Voyager explored Saturn
and its rings.
Uranus
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7th planet from sun
Has a faint ring system
27 known moons
Covered with clouds
Uranus sits on its side
with the north and south
poles sticking out the
sides.
Neptune
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8th planet from sun
Discovered through math
7 known moons
Triton largest moon
Great Dark Spot thought
to be a hole, similar to
the hole in the ozone
layer on Earth
Outermost Planet
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Pluto, the outermost
planet, is a small solid
icy planet is smaller than
the Earth's Moon.
There is much debate to
its being considered a
planet and today it is
considered a dwarf
planet.
Pluto
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9th planet from sun
(usually)
Never visited by
spacecraft
Orbits very slowly
Moon, Charon, is very
close to Pluto and
about the same size
Explore the Universe and expand your
mind
Susan Hammond
TTl
June 2003