The Solar System

1
The Solar System
2
Weve always known that there were seven objects
in the Solar System.
3
They were called planetos (English
planets)(Greek for wanderer).
4
This is because they moved (wandered) in the
sky.
5
These seven
Mars
Jupiter
Mercury
Sun
Saturn
Moon
Venus
6
These objects could all be seen without a
telescope.
7
It was thought all these objects revolved around
the Earth.
8
They were wrong!
9
Everything in the Solar System revolves around
the Sun!
10
Nothing new was discovered until 1609.
11
In 1609, Galileo used a telescope to look at the
evening sky.
Source Wikimedia Commons
12
Galileo discovered
Ears on Saturn
Craters on the Moon
Jupiters Four Galilean Moons
Sunspots
Pictures Source The Galileo Project, Rice
University
13
A new planet was discovered in 1781.
14
Using a 40-foot long telescope
Source Wikimedia Commons
15
Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus.
Source Wikimedia Commons
16
Neptune was first observed in 1846.
17
Todays telescopes are larger and improved.
We see objects better today than any time in
history!
18
Thousands of telescopes observe the skies each
night.
Source Kitt Peak National Observatory
19
One example is the Keck Observatory in Hawaii has
two telescopes with 10 meter mirrors (about 33
feet).
Source Keck Observatory
20
The Hubble Space Telescopes explores the universe
in Earth orbit.
21
So, what do we know about our Solar System?
22
Our Solar System is made up of
The Rocky Planets (made up of rock!)
Mercury
Earth
Venus
Mars
23
Our Solar System is made up of
The Gas Giants (made up primarily of gas!)
Jupiter
Uranus
Saturn
Neptune
24
Our Solar System is made up of
Dwarf Planets
Ceres (rocky)
Pluto (icy rocky)
MakeMake - Icy
Mah-key Mah-key
Eris - icy
25
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Asteroids
26
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Source NASA Solar System Website
Asteroids
The vast majority of the asteroids are found
between the orbits of Mars Jupiter.
27
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Source JPL Photojournal
Asteroids
Asteroids are rocky bodies.
28
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Asteroids
There are over 750,000 asteroids.
29
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Source NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day August
26, 1995
Comets
30
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Comets
Source StarrySkies.com
Comets are found in the Oort Cloud.
31
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Comets
Source StarrySkies.com
The Oort Cloud is six trillion miles away from
the Sun.
32
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Comets
Comets are basically dirty snowballs.
33
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Comets
They are made of ice, dry ice, frozen ammonia and
dirt dust.
34
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Comets
As they approach the Sun, they melt and may be
easily seen.
35
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Comets
There are over one trillion comets in the Oort
Cloud.
36
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Kuiper Belt
Source Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University
of Arizona, Outer Solar System Debris webpage
37
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Kuiper Belt
Source Windows on the Universe
Kuiper Belt Objects are found beyond the orbit of
Neptune to about five billion miles from the Sun.
38
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Kuiper Belt
Source University of Hawaii, Institute for
Astronomy, Dr. David Jewitts website
Kuiper Belt Objects are icy bodies.
39
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Kuiper Belt
There are over 35,000 Kuiper Belt Objects.
40
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Dust and Rocks
Source Windows on the Universe
41
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Dust and Rocks
Space is full of dust and rocks.
42
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Dust and Rocks
When they are in space, they are called
meteoroids.
Source NASA Stardust Website
43
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Source NASA Solar System Exploration Website
Dust and Rocks
When they enter our atmosphere, they are
meteors.
44
Our Solar System is made up of
Other
Dust and Rocks
When they hit the ground, they are meteorites.
45
The planets in the Solar System
Source NASA StarChild website
46
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Source answers.com Terrestrial Plants
47
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Mercury
48
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Mercury

• Closest planet to Sun (1)

• Smallest planet (Rank 8)

Source MESSENGER Mercury Website
49
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Mercury

• Day is 59 Earth days long

• Year is 88 Earth Days Long

Source MESSENGER Mercury Website
50
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Mercury

• Weight on planet Earth x .38

Source MESSENGER Mercury Website
51
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Venus
Source JPL Photojournal
52
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Venus

• Second planet from the Sun(2)

• Sixth largest planet (Rank 6)

Source JPL Photojournal
53
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Venus

• Day is 243 Earth days long

• Year is 225 days long

Source JPL Photojournal
54
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Venus

• Weight on planet x .86

Source JPL Photojournal
55
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Earth
Source NASA Galileo Mission
56
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Earth

• Third planet from the Sun(3)

• Fifth largest planet (Rank 5)

Source NASA Apollo 17
57
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Earth

• Day is 24 hours long

• Year is 365 days long

Source NASA Apollo 17
58
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Earth

• Weight on planet your weight

Source NASA Apollo 17
59
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Mars
60
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Mars

• Fourth planet from the Sun(4)

• Seventh largest planet (Rank 7)

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
61
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Mars

• Day is 25 Earth hours long

• Year is about two Earth years long

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
62
The planets in the Solar System
The Rocky Inner Planets
Mars

• Weight on planet - x .38

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
63
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Source NASA/JPL Cassini-Huygens Website
64
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Jupiter
Source Space Telescope Science Institute
65
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Jupiter

• Fifth planet from the Sun (5)

• Largest planet (Rank 1)

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
66
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Jupiter

• Day is ten Earth hours long

• Year is twelve Earth years long

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
67
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Jupiter

• Weight on planet - x 2.87

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
68
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Saturn
69
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Saturn

• Sixth planet from the Sun (6)

• Second largest planet (Rank 2)

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
70
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Saturn

• Day is 11 Earth hours long

• Year is 29 Earth years long

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
71
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Saturn

• Weight on planet - x 1.32

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
72
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Uranus
Source Space Telescope Science Institute
73
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Uranus

• Seventh planet from the Sun (7)

• Third largest planet (Rank 3)

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
74
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Uranus

• Day is 17 Earth hours long

• Year is 84 Earth years long

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
75
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Uranus

• Weight on planet - x .93

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
76
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Neptune
Source Space Telescope Science Institute
77
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Neptune

• Eighth planet from the Sun (8)

• Fourth largest planet (Rank 4)

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
78
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Neptune

• Day is 16 Earth hour long

• Year is 165 Earth years long

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
79
The planets in the Solar System
The Outer Gas Giants
Neptune

• Weight on planet - x 1.23

Source Space Telescope Science Institute
80
Planetary Records
Solar Facts
1,400,000 km in diameter
Weight - x 27
81
Planetary Records
Largest Smallest Planets
Jupiter
Mercury
134,200 km in diameter
4,900 km in diameter
Weight 287 pounds (100 pounds on Earth)
Weight 38 pounds (100 pounds on Earth)
82
Planetary Records
Nearest Farthest from Sun
Mercury
Neptune
58,000,000 km from Sun
2,900,000,000 km from Sun
Year is 88 Earth Days Long
Year is 165 Earth years Long
83
Keeping the Solar System Together
What keeps the Solar System together?
The force of gravity holds the Solar System
together.
84
Keeping the Solar System Together
What if there was no gravity?
All the planets would fly off into space.
Moon would fly off into space.
85
Keeping the Solar System Together
What is the effect of gravity?
Planets revolve around the Sun.
Moon revolves around the Earth.
86
Keeping the Solar System Together
What is the effect of gravity?
Large Mass Large Gravity
Sun
Sun weight x 27
Weigh More!
Jupiter
Jupiter weight x 2.87
87
Keeping the Solar System Together
What is the effect of gravity?
Small Mass Small Gravity
Mercury
Mercury weight x .38
Weigh Less!
Ceres
Ceres weight x .oo2 (100 lbs 4 ounces)
88
And thats a quick look at our Solar System!