The Solar System

The solar system

• A solar system is a group of planets orbiting a central star.

• The solar system contains a sun, 8 planets, 3 dwarf planets, and various moons and asteroids

• In 2006 the International Astronomical Union decided to remove Pluto as a planet and create a new category after the discovery of an object bigger then Pluto

The Sun

• The Sun is the largest thing in the solar system

• Its radius is the same as twice the distance from the earth to the moon

• All the planets are bound to the sun by gravity

Revolution and Rotation of the Planets

• All the planets in the solar system revolve around the sun in a counterclockwise direction in slightly elliptical orbits (revolution)

• All planets also spin about their axis in a counterclockwise direction* (rotation)

Mercury

• Closest planet to the sun.

• 57.9 million km from the sun

• Orbital period 88 days• Made of rock• Temperature -180 to

426 Celsius

Venus

• 108 million km from the sun

• Orbital Period 224.7 days

• Clockwise Rotation• Rocky surface with a

thick atmosphere• Temp 470 degrees at

surface

Earth

• Only Planet to support life

• 150 million km from sun

• Orbital Period 365.26 days

• Temperature -85 to 58 degrees

• Rocky core nitrogen oxygen atmosphere

• One moon

Mars

• 228 million km from sun

• Orbital period 687 days

• Half the size of Earth

• Temperature -120 to 30 degrees

• Rocky Surface with a thin atmosphere

• 2 moons Phobos and Deimos

Jupiter

• 778 million km from sun

• Orbital Period 11.9 earth years

• Gas giant made of hydrogen, helium, and methane.

• Largest planet in the solar system

• Temp -160 degrees

• Failed star?

Saturn

• 1427 million km from sun

• Orbital period 29.5 Earth years

• Gas Giant made of hydrogen, helium, methane

• Distinctive dust and ice rings

• Temp -180 Degrees

Uranus

• Ok we all know the joke• 2870 million km from

sun• 84.1 year orbit• Tilted on side?• Rotation opposite to

other planets• Temperature -210

degrees

Neptune

• 4497 million km from the sun

• Orbital period 164.8 years

• Gas Giant• Thin rings• Temp -220 degrees

Dwarf Planets

• Adopted in 2006

• Dwarf planets are objects that – orbit the sun– have enough mass to become round– not large enough to have an impact on their

area

• There are currently 3 dwarf planets Eris, Pluto, and Ceres

Eris• discovered in 2005 • goddess of discord and

strife. • Mass 1.64×1022kg (bigger

then Pluto)• Distance 37-97 au (beyond

Pluto• 556. 7 year orbit• Moon: Dysnomia• Highly elipitcal orbit

Pluto

• 5900 million km from sun

• 247.7 year orbital period• Much smaller then earth• rocky• One moon Charon• Temperature -220

Degrees

Ceres

• Smallest dwarf planet in the solar system

• Located in the asteroid belt between mars and Jupiter

• Distance from sun 2.5-2.9 au

• Mass 9.46×1020 kg • Only 950 km across, smaller

then the moon• Dawn mission probe to

Ceres in 2015