Download - Intro to Space: Our Solar System
Intro to Space:
Our Solar System
The Basic Concepts Our solar system consists of 4 basic parts.
The Sun Tiny interior rocky planets Larger exterior gas planets and their icy
moons Oort Cloud of “ice balls”
Mass of the Solar System The Sun is virtually
all all of the mass. The rest is about
equal parts Jupiter, the other planets, and the Oort cloud
SunJupiterRest of PlanetsOort Cloud
The Sun
solar flare
sun spotssolar wind
MERCURYMercury, the planet nearest the Sun, is the smallest planet in our solar system.It is only slightly larger than the Earth's moon. The surface is covered with craters.This tiny planet does not have any rings or moons.
evidence ofcraters
VENUSimpact craters
lava flows
Venus is one of the brightest objects in our sky,so it is clearly visible to the naked eye. It can be tricky to spot because it is alwaysnear the Sun.
It rises and sets with the Sun each day.
Ancient civilizations believed Venus was actually two different objects, so they called the one that rose theMorning Star, and the one that set the Evening Star.
EARTH and MOONWhat similarities anddifferences do you noticebetween the Earth and theMoon?
Why do they have suchdifferent surface features?
MARS
Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in our solar system!
Martian crater
Mars is very bright, which makes it easy to spot in the night sky. It was named afterthe Roman god of war because its reddish color reminded the people of blood.
Although people havenever landed on Mars,we have sent roboticexplorers there.
ASTEROID BELTMost 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.
JUPITER
Here are a few of Jupiter’s moons
Jupiter, the fifth planet from the Sun, is the largest planet in our solar system.Jupiter is so big that over 1,000 planets the size of Earth could fit into it.It has over 60 moons and 2 rings. Can life exist on Jupiter's moon, Europa?
The “Great Red Spot”Is actually a hugeStorm system!
SATURNSaturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, is the second largest planet in our solar system.It is often called the ringed planet because many rings of dust and rocks surround it.Saturn also has over 31 moons.
Some of Saturn’s rings
Saturn with some ofits moons
Titan is a moon of Saturn that may have some Conditions necessary for life! The picture on the right shows an artist’s drawing of how Titanmight have looked when the Cassini-Huygen’sprobe dropped into its atmosphere in Dec., 2004.
URANUS
Black rings
Uranus is a very unusual planet because it sits on its side with north and southpoles sticking out the sides. It rotates around this axis, making it look like a ballrolling around in a circle around the Sun.
some of Uranus’s moons
NEPTUNE
Tiny Dark Moon
Neptune, usually the eighth planet from the Sun, is a very cold place. Occasionally, Pluto crosses Neptune’s orbit and becomes the eight planet. Its bluish color comes from its atmosphere of methane gas.
PLUTO
Clearest view to dateOf Pluto and Charon
Pluto, demoted from being the ninth planet from the Sun.Some scientists believe that Pluto once was one of Neptune’s moons, and that it pulled out away from Neptune and made its own orbit.
COMETS
Comet Halley in 1910
Comets are sometimes called dirty snowballs or "icy mudballs". They are a mixture of ices (both water and frozen gases) and dust that for some reason didn't get incorporated into planets when the solar system was formed. This makes them very interesting as samples of the early history of the solar system.
Comets have elliptical orbits.
When we see a comet, weare seeing the tail of the cometas comes close to the Sun.
Homework
Read 8.1Pg 308 #2, 5, 8, 9Pg 317 #5, 9