The Inner Planets of Our Solar System

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The Planets of Our Solar System
Name the planets as they go around the sun.
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The Relative Sizes of the Planets and the Sun
NOT TO SCALE!
3
Facts

• Each one rotates and revolves
• Rotation the time it takes to spin on its axis
• Revolution the time it takes to orbit the sun
  once

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The Inner Planets

• Terrestrial Planets - have a rocky surface
• Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars

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Mercury

• Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.
• Has no moons.
• Extreme temperatures due to the extremely thin
  atmosphere.

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Venus
Venus rotates in a direction opposite that of
Earth, which means that if you were standing on
Venus, you would see the sun rising in the west
and setting in the east.
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Venus

• Venus is also known as Earths twin.
• It is known as the morning and evening star.
• It is the hottest planet because of its thick
  atmosphere which does not allow heat to escape
  very well.
• Never sees a sunny day.

8
Earth

• Earth is the only planet in our solar system that
  contains life.
• 70 of the Earth is covered with water.
• Only Planet with liquid water.

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Mars
Mars is also called, the Red Planet. It is most
Earth-like of all the planets.
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Mars

• Known as the red planet
• Has a northern ice cap and a cap in the south
  which is frozen carbon dioxide
• It does have different seasons
• Mars has 2 moons
• Phobos
• Deimos

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Review of the Inner Planets

• What is the meaning of terrestrial?
• An alien being
• Without a surface
• Rocky, solid surface
• Snow covered

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• 2. Which Planet is the hottest?
• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Mars

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• 3. Other than Earth, which planet has seasons?
• Pluto
• Mercury
• Venus
• Mars

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• 4. Which Planet has extreme temperatures because
  of its atmosphere?
• Mercury
• Venus
• Mars
• the sun

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• 5. Which Planet is known as Earths twin?
• Mercury
• Venus
• Mars
• the moon

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The Outer Planets

• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
• Gas Giants (except Pluto)
• All have rings except Pluto
• 1 more planet????

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Jupiter
Jupiter has 27 moons.
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Jupiter

• The largest planet in our solar system
• Has a great red spot that is thought to be a
  storm.
• Has colorful bands of thick clouds.

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Saturn
Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, is one of
the five planets visible from Earth without a
telescope.
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Saturn

• The second largest planet in our solar system
• It has visible rings that can be seen from Earth

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Uranus
Looks Blue because of the methane that is found
in its atmosphere.
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Uranus

• Uranus rotates on its side
• Sideways Planet
• Tipped Uranus behaves as a giant top as it spins
  on an axis almost in the plane of its orbit. This
  motion leads to extreme seasonal variation in
  what sunlight is available.

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Neptune

• Neptune used to have a great dark spot like
  Jupiter, but is no longer visible.

Neptune orbits the Sun every 165 years.
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Pluto
PLUTO is the smallest, coldest, and the farthest
from the Sun.
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Pluto

• Solid surface
• Rocky Planet
• Some scientists debate whether it is truly a
  planet or not
• Has 1 moon Charon
• Crosses inside the orbit of Neptune.

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10th Planet - XENA

• Slightly bigger and a little over twice as far as
  Pluto (97AU compared to 40 AU for
  Pluto)http//www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/hst
  _xena_20060410.html

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http//www.darkstar1.co.uk/xena.html
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Kuiper Belt
And Beyond!
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• 6. Which Planet is the largest?
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Neptune
• Pluto

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• 7. Which planet rotates on its side?
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune

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• 8. Which planet has rings that are visible from
  Earth?
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune

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• 9. Which planet is the only outer planet that is
  not a gas giant?
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Neptune
• Pluto

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• Which planet crosses the orbit of Uranus?
• Saturn
• Earth
• Pluto
• Neptune