year 10 a tour of the universe

A tour of The A tour of The UniverseUniverse

PlanetsPlanets A planet is a A planet is a

body which body which orbits (travels orbits (travels around) a stararound) a star

The planet The planet Earth orbits Earth orbits the Sun (our the Sun (our nearest star)nearest star)

MoonsMoons A moon is a body A moon is a body

which orbits a which orbits a planetplanet

Our moon travels Our moon travels around the Eartharound the Earth

Most of the other Most of the other planets have planets have moonsmoons

Solar SystemSolar System

The Solar System is the sun and all the The Solar System is the sun and all the bodies orbiting itbodies orbiting it

It is the eight planets, their moons, the It is the eight planets, their moons, the asteroids and their cometsasteroids and their comets

Who is the furthest of them Who is the furthest of them all?all?

The terrestrial planetsThe terrestrial planets

Mercury Venus

Earth Mars

The gas giantsThe gas giants

Jupiter Saturn

Uranus Neptune

PlutoPluto

Pluto is now classified as a ‘dwarf planet’

It is much smaller than the other planets.

Its orbit is not in the same plane as the other planets – go back and have a look at the solar system image.

The Asteroid BeltThe Asteroid Belt

Located between Located between Mars and JupiterMars and Jupiter

Belt of lumps of Belt of lumps of rocksrocks

Largest rock, Ceres Largest rock, Ceres is 1000km in is 1000km in diameterdiameter

StarsStars Balls of hot gasBalls of hot gas Nuclear reactions Nuclear reactions

occur in starsoccur in stars Produce lots of Produce lots of

energy including energy including lightlight

Our nearest star is Our nearest star is the sunthe sun

Second closest is Second closest is Proxima CentauriProxima Centauri

NebulaeNebulae

Nebulae are Nebulae are large clouds of large clouds of dust and gas dust and gas within our own within our own galaxy made galaxy made visible by their visible by their interaction with interaction with nearby stars or nearby stars or star remnants.star remnants.

GalaxyGalaxy

Huge group of stars held together by Huge group of stars held together by gravitygravity

Earth is part of the Milky Way galaxyEarth is part of the Milky Way galaxy

UniverseUniverse

Contains one hundred thousand Contains one hundred thousand million galaxiesmillion galaxies

Contains everything that existsContains everything that exists