Our Solar System

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Our Solar System

• Developed by Dorian Janney
• After School Astronomy Clubs

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The Sun
solar flare
sun spots
solar wind
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MERCURY
Mercury, the planet nearest the Sun, is the
second smallest planet in our solar system. It is
only slightly larger than the Earth's moon. The
surface is covered with craters. This tiny planet
does not have any rings or moons.
evidence of craters
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VENUS
impact craters
lava flows
Venus is one of the brightest objects in our
sky, so it is clearly visible to the naked eye.
It can be tricky to spot because it is
always near the Sun. It rises and sets with the
Sun each day. Ancient civilizations believed
Venus was actually two different objects, so
they called the one that rose the Morning Star,
and the one that set the Evening Star.
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EARTH and MOON
What similarities and differences do you
notice between the Earth and the Moon? Why do
they have such different surface features?
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MARS
Mars is very bright, which makes it easy to spot
in the night sky. It was named after the Roman
god of war because its reddish color reminded the
people of blood.
Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in our solar
system!
Although people have never landed on Mars, we
have sent robotic explorers there.
Martian crater
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ASTEROID BELT
Most asteroids can be found in the Asteroid Belt,
which is located between Mars and Jupiter.
Asteroids are rocky and metallic objects that
orbit the Sun, but are too small to be considered
planets. They are known as minor
planets. Asteroids range in size from Ceres,
which has a diameter of about 1000 km, down to
the size of pebbles.
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JUPITER
Jupiter, the fifth planet from the Sun, is the
largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter is so
big that over 1,000 planets the size of Earth
could fit into it. It has over 60 moons and 2
rings.  Can life exist on Jupiter's moon, Europa?
The Great Red Spot Is actually a huge Storm
system!
Here are a few of Jupiters moons
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SATURN
Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, is the
second largest planet in our solar system. It is
often called the ringed planet because many rings
of dust and rocks surround it. Saturn also has
over 31 moons.
Saturn with some of its moons
Some of Saturns rings
Titan is a moon of Saturn that may have some
Conditions necessary for life! The picture on
the right shows an artists drawing of how
Titan might have looked when the
Cassini-Huygens probe dropped into its
atmosphere in Dec., 2004.
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URANUS
Uranus is a very unusual planet because it sits
on its side with north and south poles sticking
out the sides. It rotates around this axis,
making it look like a ball rolling around in a
circle around the Sun.
some of Uranuss moons
Black rings
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NEPTUNE
Neptune, usually the eighth planet from the Sun,
is a very cold place. Occasionally, Pluto
crosses Neptunes orbit and becomes the eight
planet. Its bluish color comes from its
atmosphere of methane gas.
Tiny Dark Moon
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PLUTO
Pluto, usually the ninth planet from the Sun, is
the smallest planet in our solar system. Some
scientists believe that Pluto once was one of
Neptunes moons, and that it pulled out away
from Neptune and made its own orbit.
Clearest view to date Of Pluto and Charon
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COMETS
Comets are sometimes called dirty snowballs or
"icy mudballs". They are a mixture of ices (both
water and frozen gases) and dust that for some
reason didn't get incorporated into planets when
the solar system was formed. This makes them
very interesting as samples of the early history
of the solar system.
Comets have elliptical orbits.
When we see a comet, we are seeing the tail of
the comet as comes close to the Sun.
Comet Halley in 1910
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Credits include

• http//kids.nineplanets.org/title.htm
• http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/
• http//library.thinkquest.org/J0112188/pluto.htm