The Nine Planets
How many planet are in the inner solar system?
4
How many planets are in the outer solar system?
4
What is Jupiter's Great Red Spot?
A huge storm system
The average distance between the Earth and sun is...
Astronomical unit
Why do they call the inner planets terrestrial?
Because their surfaces are dense rocky
Why are the inner planets called terrestrial planets?
Because, like Earth, they are dense and rocky
In what three ways do the inner planets differ from the outer planets?
Closer, denser, rocky, and small.
What is Saturn's rings made of?
Different sized icy particles
Planets of the inner solar system
Earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars
What evidence suggest that there was once liquid water on Mars?
Features like dry riverbeds
Where may some of the lost water on Mars be found?
Frozen beneath the Martian soil
A planet that has a deep, massive atmosphere is called a(n)
Gas giant
To which group does earth belong to?
Inner solar system
What is the largest planet in our solar system?
Jupiter
Planets of the outer solar system
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
The distance light travels in 1 minute is called a(n)
Light minute
The amount of time an object takes to revolve around the sun?
Period of revolution
The amount of time that an object takes to rotate once
Period of rotation
The amount of time that an object takes to rotate once is called it's?
Period of rotation
Ancient astronomers know that planets were...
Physical bodies
Of the outer planets, why would Pluto NOT be called a gas giant?
Pluto is small, dense, any rocky. Gas giants are big and are mostly made of gases.
A planet with a _________ rotation appears to spin counterclockwise as seen from above it's North Pole.
Prograde
A planet with a _______ rotation appears to spin clockwise as seen from above it North Pole.
Retrograde
The motion of a body orbiting another body in space3
Revolution
What materials does Pluto seem to be composed of?
Rock and ice
Our solar system consists of what?
Sun, planets, and many smaller objects
The inner planets are also called...
Terrestrial
Another way to measure distances in space is by using
The speed of light
How do the inner planets differ from the planets on the outer solar system.
They are spaced closer, dense, and rocky
Why does Mercury's day last almost 59 Earth days?
This is because it rotates slowly and takes longer to rotate
What does the word planet mean?
Wanderers
The time that a planet takes to go around the sun once?
Year