Our Solar System

Many objects make up the

Solar System.

The Sun

Source: NASA

Center of our Solar System.

895,000 miles in diameter.

1,300,000 Earths would fill Sun.

Inner Rocky Planets

Mercury

Source: MESSENGER Mission Website

Mercury Facts

Closest planet To Sun.Smallest planet.88 “day” year/59 “day” day.

Mercury Facts

Very, very thin atmosphere.No rings or moon.

Venus

Source: NASA

Venus Facts

Second planet from Sun.6th largest planet.225 “day” year/243 “day” day.

Venus Facts

Entire surface covered with clouds (very thick atmosphere).Hottest planet (900 F.).No rings or moons.

Earth

Source: NASA/Goddard Spaceflight Center

Earth Facts

Third planet from Sun.5th largest planet.365 “day” year/24 hour day.

Earth Facts

Thick atmosphere.Only place we know there is life.No rings/one moon.

Mars

Source: Hubblesite.org

Mars Facts

Fourth planet from Sun.7th largest planet.687 “day” year/24 hour day.

Mars Facts

Very thin atmosphere.No rings/two moons.

Outer Gas Giants

Jupiter

Source: Hubblesite.org

Jupiter Facts

Fifth planet from Sun.Largest planet.12 “year” year/10 hour day.

Jupiter Facts

Very thick atmosphere.Faint rings/sixty-three moons.

Saturn

Source: Hubblesite.org

Saturn Facts

Sixth planet from Sun.2nd largest planet.29 “year” year/10 hour day.

Saturn Facts

Very thick atmosphere.Bright, easily seen rings/ sixty-three moons.

Uranus

Source: Hubblesite.org

Uranus Facts

Seventh planet from Sun.3rd largest planet.84 “year” year/17 hour day.

Uranus Facts

Very thick atmosphere.Very, very faint rings/twenty- seven moons.

Neptune

Source: Hubblesite.org

Neptune Facts

Eight planet from Sun.4th largest planet.165 “year” year/15 hour day.

Neptune Facts

Very thick atmosphere.Very, very faint rings/thirteen moons.

Dwarf Planets

Dwarf PlanetsThere are currently five dwarf planets. These are:

PlutoErisMakeMakeHaumeaCeres

Dwarf PlanetsDiameters range from Pluto (1,400 miles) to Ceres (590 miles).None have rings.Pluto (3), Haumea (2), and Eris (1) have moons.

Other Members of

the Solar System

Asteroids

Asteroids

Source: Internet Encyclopedia of Science

Found between Mars and Jupiter.

Asteroid Facts

Over 100,000 asteroids.Vesta is the largest – 330 miles in diameter.

Asteroid Facts

Size range – 330 miles to about 100 yards.Irregular-shaped rocky bodies.Some asteroids have moon(s).

Click here to see Dawn’s Virtual Flight Over the Asteroid Vesta.

Comets

Source: European Space Agency

CometsSpaced Out - Comets

CometsOrigin of Comets

CometsLong-period comets

(over 200 years) found in the Oort Cloud.

The Oort Cloud.

CometsOort Cloud

is about one light year from the

Sun.

CometsThe Oort Cloud.

CometsShort-period comets (less than 200 years)

found in the Kuiper Belt.

CometsThe Kuiper

Belt is found beyond the

orbit of Neptune.

CometsComets are made up of

three parts.

Comet Facts

Nucleus – icy body – ice, frozen ammonia, dirt (“dirty snowball”).Coma- vaporizing gas.

Comet Facts

Nucleus.Coma.Tail – gas and dust pushed away from comet by “solar wind.”

CometsBright Tails, Black Hearts: Exploration of

Comets

Meteoroid, Meteor, Meteorite

Meteoroid, Meteor, MeteoriteSpaced Out: Meteors

Meteoroid, Meteor, MeteoriteAsteroid and Meteorite

Meteoroid, Meteor, Meteorite

These are made of rocks and dirt.

A meteoroid is rocks or dirt in outer space.

Meteoroid, Meteor, MeteoriteA meteor is when the

rock enters the

atmosphere.

Meteoroid, Meteor, Meteorite

A meteorite

is when the rock hits

the Earth.

What holds the Solar System

together?

Gravity is the force that holds the Solar

System together.

No gravity, no Solar System.

Planets would fly off in a straight line.

Gravity keeps the planets in orbit.

The Sun is so large, its gravity holds

everything together.

The Orbit of the Planets

Fact #1 – The closer to the Sun, the shorter the

planet’s year.

Fact #2 – The farther from the Sun, the

longer the planet’s year.

Why?Closer to the Sun, planet

must move faster because Sun’s gravity stronger.

Farther from the Sun, planet can move slower because Sun’s gravity

weaker.

Why?Closer to the Sun, planet travels along a smaller

orbit.

Farther from the Sun, planet travels along a

larger orbit.

Examples

Mercury is 36,000,000 miles from the Sun. It

travels about 226,000,000 miles

revolving around the Sun in one Mercury year.

ExamplesNeptune is 2,800,000,000

miles from the Sun. It travels about

217,500,000,000 miles revolving around the Sun

in one Neptune year.

Weight on Other Worlds

The larger the body, the more

mass and gravity it has.

The Sun has so much mass, if you weighed 100

pounds on Earth, you would weigh 2,700 pounds

on the Sun.