The Solar System

Learning the Planets

Objectives

• You will be able to…• Learn some information about the planets,

including:• Order from the Sun• Order of size• An interesting fact about each planet• What they look like• Some additional information about our planet,

Earth• (Reminder: Take notes!!! – you will be asked to

remember facts!)

Mercury• Closest planet to the Sun

• Extremely thin atmosphere

• The 8th largest planet

Venus• 2nd planet from the Sun

• The 6th largest planet

• The 3rd brightest object in the sky

Earth• The Earth is our home• The 3rd planet from the Sun• The 5th largest planet• Has 1 moon

• Because our planet is so important to us…• Here is more Information about the planet we live on:

• http://www.evgschool.org/earth_in_space__an_introduction.htm

Mars• 4th planet from the Sun

• The 7th largest planet

• Has 2 moons

• Sometimes called the “Red Planet”

Jupiter• 5th planet from the Sun

• By far the largest planet (in volume and mass)

• Has 16 or more moons

• Fastest rotating planet

Saturn• 6th planet from the Sun

• 2nd largest planet

• Has 3 prominent rings

• Has 20 or more moons

• ***prominent= big/large

Uranus• 7th planet from the Sun

• The 3rd largest planet (in diameter)

• Has 15 or more moons within it’s rings

Neptune• 8th planet from the Sun

• 4th largest planet (in diameter)

• 5 rings and several moons

And now you know about the planets!!

• Wait…are you thinking what I am thinking?......

What About Pluto?

• PLUTO IS NO LONGER A PLANET!• Scientists have come up with a new definition for

“planet” and Pluto is now considered a “Dwarf” planet and is not counted as one of the “nine” planets anymore.

• Now there are only EIGHT planets!

What is the difference between a planet and a dwarf planet?

• A planet- a celestial body that (a) in orbit around the sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a nearly round shape, and (c) has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.

• A dwarf planet- a celestial body that is (a) in orbit around the sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a nearly round shape, (c) has NOT cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.

Summary

• We have seen pictures of the planets and learned that there are actually only 8 of them now.

• Pluto is considered a “dwarf planet”

• We learned the difference between a planet and a dwarf planet

• We learned some facts about each planet and their position in order from the Sun.

Activity

• Hopefully you remembered to take notes!• Now, choose your favorite planet…• Use the facts you remember to write about your

chosen planet and include why it is your favorite• Later you will be asked to share your write-up

activity with a partner• We will be doing a project later in the week that

involves information we have learned about the planets

Quick Test

Acknowledgment

• www.nineplanets.org• Google images• http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets• www.space.com/planets• http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?

Object=Pluto• http://www.evgschool.org/earth_in_space__an_introduction.htm• (You can use these sites to do additional research, or find

something on your own…remember, we have projects coming up later in the week—more information can be useful!)