The Solar System

Both

(these are the characteristics of planets) spherical, orbits the sun, Debris-free neighborhood (pluto does not)

When and how did it form

4.5 billion years ago A cloud collapsed, possibly due to the shockwave of a nearby exploding star. It formed a spinning, swirling disk of material. Clumps smashed into one another, forming larger and larger objects. Solar Nebula Gravity in center caused H to fuse into He, creating our Sun Gravity pulled particles together forming planets Asteroid belt is a place where planets didn't form.

How many moons does Pluto have?

5 moons

Uranus

Atmosphere: Hydrogen and Helium with Methane gas giving its blue/green color. Rings: 10 made of ice and rocks. Moons: 18 Surface: completely fluid with a magnetic field. Core: small and solid. AKA: the sideways planet.

Neptune

Atmosphere: is mainly composed of methane, giving Neptune its bluish color. It also has Belts and Zones. The Great Dark Spot: a storm. Natural Satellites: 8

Saturn

Atmosphere: mostly hydrogen and helium with a magnetic field. Surface: has Zones and Belts as well with winds Rings: 7 rings composed ice and rocks. Moons: 7

List 4 characteristics that all of the Inner Planets share

Close to the sun, Short revolution period, Long rotation period, Made of rock, Few moons, No rings

Pluto is no longer considered a planet. What is its new category?

Dwarf Planet

How do astronomers classify Pluto today? What are the names of some of Pluto's interesting neighbors in its neighborhood? (use windows to the universe website)

Dwarf planet, Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea.

List 4 characteristics that all of the Outer Planets share

Far from the sun, Long revolution period, Short rotation period, Made of gas, Many moons, Rings

What is Pluto made of?

Ice and rock

Pluto's orbit around the sun is very different than the other planets. Describe how it is different.

Its orbit is also more oval-shaped, or elliptical, than those of the planets. Sometimes Pluto is a lot nearer to the Sun than at other times.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest of the planets. 16 moons: composed of ice and rock. Atmosphere: composed of hydrogen and helium and has a magnetic field. Surface: contains BELTS (low, warm, dark colored clouds) and ZONES (high, cool, light colored clouds). Rotation: 10 hours making it the shortest day in the solar system. Great Red Spot: a storm on Jupiter for the last 300 years.

List the 4 outer (jovian) planets

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

List the planets with more than 3 moons

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Which planets are made of gas?

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Which planets have a long Revolution period?

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Which planets have a short Rotation period?

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Which planets have rings?

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

What feature lies between Mars and Jupiter?

Main Asteroid Belt

Which planets have a thin atmosphere?

Mercury, Earth, Mars

List the 4 inner (terrestrial) planets

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

Which planets are made of rock?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

Which planets have a short Revolution period?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

List the 8 planets in order from the sun

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Other Stuff in our Solar System

Meteors and asteroids

What is special about moons?

Moons (natural satellites) come in many shapes, sizes and types. They are generally solid bodies, and few have atmospheres. Most of the planetary moons probably formed from the discs of gas and dust circulating around planets in the early solar system.

What's the difference between a moon and a small planet?

Moons revolve around planets

Does Pluto have rings?

No rings

Earth

Only planet in the solar system known to harbor life. Moderately dense atmosphere is composed of nitrogen and oxygen. Earth's axis is tilted. (only one that has seasons) Surface: Is solid with water. Interior: Mantle (molten rock) Core (solid iron and nickel). One moon

What else is there

Our Universe is mostly empty space. Galaxies and clusters of galaxies that make up the visible universe are concentrated in a complex scaffold that surrounds enormous empty spaces.

Pluto

Pluto is so small, and so far away that it is hard to photograph and study. Atmosphere is made up of Nitrogen and Methane. Natural Satellite: 1 Surface: very similar to the Gas Giants. It is now known as a Dwarf Planet.

Where could we find life?

So far, we only know that or solar system can support life. Mars could have life. Some moons can support life. Planets or moons with water are most like Earth.

What is special about our sun

Source of energy that drives season, ocean currents, and weather yellow dwarf star. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything in its orbit. Electric currents in the Sun generate a magnetic field that is carried out through the solar system by the solar wind—a stream of electrically charged gas blowing outward from the Sun in all directions.

What is the Kuiper Belt?

The Kuiper Belt is a doughnut-shaped ring of icy objects around the Sun, extending just beyond the orbit of Neptune from about 30 to 55 AU.

What is the Oort Cloud?

The Oort Cloud is a group of icy bodies beginning roughly 186 billion miles (300 billion kilometers) away from the Sun. The limit of the Sun's field of gravity.

How large is it

The Solar System is 80 - 100 astronomical units 1.6 light years to the Oort cloud

How are the planets grouped

The terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) and the gas planets (Jupiter, Saturn), and the Ice Giants (Uranus, Neptune).and Dwarf planets and KBO's

Overview

There are nine planets in our solar system that orbit around the Sun

The first 4 planets

These first four planets are all terrestrial planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars

Does Pluto have an atmosphere? If so what is it made of? Is it thick or thin?

Yes, Nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide., Thin

Venus

brightest planet Venus is very similar to Earth in size, mass, composition, and distance from the Sun. Day: 427C Night: -173C (the hottest planet) Atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, this produces a greenhouse effect. Similar to Earth, Venus has clouds. However, they are made of sulfuric acid. Surface: Smooth because of lava flow. Interior: Liquid metal core. No moons

Mercury

closest planet to the Sun, so it is hard to see from Earth except during twilight. 467°C to -183°C (because it has no atmosphere(it can not trap heat)). Surface: similar to the Moon's. Has no moons Interior: nickel-iron core. No weather (when asteroids hit it they stay there, so it has craters)

Inner planet characteristics

few moons, terrestrial, less than 2 AU away from the sun, thin atmosphere, short revolution, long rotation, short years

The last four planets

giant gas planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Which planets are closest to the sun?

inner

Which planets have a long Rotation period?

inner

Outer planet characteristics

many moons, giants, More than 5 AU away from the sun, thick atmosphere, long revolution, short rotation, H2, He atmosphere, rings

Which planets have a thick atmosphere?

outer

Mars

small and rocky. volcanic activity and tectonic motion, just like Earth. Mars has red soil because of the Iron Oxide (rust). Its atmosphere is very similar to that of Venus. (thin it is very turbulent , so that there is a constant wind on Mars.) There are canyons and dried rivers suggesting that water once existed. Olympus Mons (largest volcano in our solar system.) Interior: Iron, nickel and possibly sulfur. Two moons

Describe Pluto's size and shape as compared to the other planets.

⅙ the size of Earth, Same shape