1. The Solar System

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1. The Solar System
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Solar System to Scale (size)
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2. The Sun is the center of our solar system.
First proposed by Copernicus in 1543.
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People used to think the solar system was
Geocentric (Earth Centered)

• Early Greeks created this model
• Problems with it included retrograde motion of
  planets (a figure 8 path)
• http//www.lasalle.edu/smithsc/Astronomy/retrogra
  d.html
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v72FrZz_zJFU

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Later observations confirmed the Heliocentric
Model (Sun Centered)

• Described in 1543 by Copernicus
• Confirmed by Galileo using his telescope to
  observe Venus

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The Sun contains 99.86 of all the Solar Systems
mass.
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• The force of gravity from the sun holds our solar
  system together.
• The larger an objects mass, the greater its
  gravitational force.

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4. Planets closer to the Sun orbit the Sun
FASTER than planets farther from the Sun.

• http//janus.astro.umd.edu/javadir/orbits/ssv.html
  
• http//www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm

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5. Which planet takes longer to orbit the Sun?

• Neptune or Jupiter?
• Mars or Earth?
• Venus or Mercury?
• Uranus or Saturn?
• Pluto takes 248 years to complete one orbit!

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Why doesnt Mercury have an atmosphere?

• No atmosphere due to
• low gravitational pull (its the smallest planet)
• high daytime temperatures (2nd hottest planet)
• solar winds blast away any remaining gasses

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What causes Venus to be so warm?

• Heat is trapped due to the intense greenhouse
  effect due to the thick atmosphere.
• Temperatures average 460 degrees C on Venus

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Greenhouse Effect
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Image of Maat Mons- the highest volcano on Venus.
Taken with radar since the temperature and
pressure destroy any probes that land on the
surface.
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8. What makes Earth different from all other
planets?

• It has liquid water (not just frozen or gas
  forms)
• Life is found here.

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9. Identify all the features found near/on Mars

• Ice caps (on N and S poles)
• Volcanoes (largest in the solar system taller
  than 3 Mt Everests and wider than Hawaiian island
  chain)

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• No Oceans (may have lots of frozen water or even
  salt water below the surface) http//www.google.co
  m/mars/
• No life
• A thin atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide
• Seasons (it has a tilted axis like Earth)
• 2 moons
• No hot temperatures (range is -125C to 35C)

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10. What elements are primarily found in
Jupiters atmosphere?

• Hydrogen and helium
• If Jupiter were a little larger, it may have
  turned into a small star

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11. Why do we study Jupiters moons?

• Studying these moons add to the knowledge about
  the origin of Earth and the rest of the solar
  system

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Saturns rings are made out of particles of

• Ice and rocks

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13. Uranus is tipped on its side, how did this
probably happen?

• A collision with another object probably tipped
  it over.

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14. When was Neptune discovered and what gases
are found in its atmosphere?

• Discovered in 1846
• Methane gases give Neptune its blue-green color

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15. Identify reasons why Pluto is different from
the other outer planets

• Only has a thin atmosphere, other outer planets
  have thick atmospheres.
• Only outer planet with a solid, icy-rock surface

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Orbit of Pluto
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The Inner Planets
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The Inner Planets

• Small in size
• Solid/rocky

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The Outer Planets
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Outer Planets

• Large in size
• Made of gas
• Have rings
• Have many moons

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Dwarf Planetshttp//www.youtube.com/watch?vFqX2Y
dnwtRcfeaturerelated

• Orbit the sun, but have not cleared the
  neighborhood- no clean path around Sun
• Be spherical in shape, but small

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What can I see in the sky this Autumn?

• http//www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?caid1
  0184

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Out of this World Lab

• What would be different about life on another
  planet? Life on a star?
• You will be calculating weight, jumping ability,
  and age if you lived on different planets.

http//www.youtube.com/watch?vbDpwtnGS6ucfeature
BFalistPL68BB0B53B47E8190lfresults_main Jumpi
ng http//www.youtube.com/watch?vckHQy84ml4A Fal
ling
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Vocabulary

• Mass-The amount of matter (stuff) in an object.
• Stays the same from planet to planet
• Weight-A measurement of the gravitational force
  acting on an object.
• Changes as you move from planet to planet.

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• Gravitational Force-The force of attraction
  between any two objects.
• The more massive the object is and the closer it
  is, the greater its gravitational force.

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• Planetary Year-the length of time it takes a
  planet to revolve around the sun.

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Predictions (Hypothesis)

• Weight Possible locations
• Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
  Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Sun, White Dwarf
• Jumping locations
• Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
  Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Sun, White Dwarf
• Age Possible locations
• Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
  Neptune, Pluto

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Weight on other planets- MULTIPLY your weight on
Earth by the gravity factor to calculate your
weight on another planet.
Location Weight on Earth Gravity Factor Weight (lbs)-round to the nearest whole number
Mercury  110 0.38  
Venus 110  0.91  
Mars  110 0.38  
Jupiter  110 2.36  
Saturn 110  1.06  
Uranus 110  0.89  
Neptune  110 1.13  
Pluto 110  0.07  
The Moon  110 0.17  
The Sun  110 27.1  
A White Dwarf Star  110 1,300,000.00  
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Jump on another planet- DIVIDE the distance of
your jump (in inches) on Earth by the gravity
factor to calculate your jump distance on another
planets.
Location Jump on Earth Gravity Factor Inches jumped (round to the nearest whole number)
Mercury  45 inches 0.38  
Venus   0.91  
Mars   0.38  
Jupiter   2.36  
Saturn   1.06  
Uranus   0.89  
Neptune   1.13  
Pluto   0.07  
The Moon   0.17  
The Sun   27.1  
A White Dwarf Star   1,300,000.00  
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Age on another planet- MULTIPLY your age by the
planetary year factor to calculate your age on
other planets.
Location Age on Earth Planetary Year Factor Age (years)
Mercury  12 4.15  
Venus  12 1.63  
Earth  12 1  
Mars   0.53  
Jupiter   0.08  
Saturn   0.03  
Uranus   0.012  
Neptune   0.006  
Pluto   0.004  
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Conclusions

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vEDab4e6L0c0
• Magic school bus Gains Weight
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vTsXUmiLRroo
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vxICEt51A-Ac

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Larger objects (more massive) have more gravity
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Orbiting the Sun
Planet Day Length Day Length Year Length Year Length
Mercury 58.65 0.24 0.24
Venus 243.01 0.61 0.61
Earth 1.00 1.00 1.00
Mars 1.03 1.88 1.88
Jupiter 0.41 11.86 11.86
Saturn 0.44 29.46 29.46
Uranus 0.65 84.07 84.07
Neptune 0.77 164.82 164.82

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Planet Names

• http//planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/append7.html
• Scale sizes of solar system
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System_model
• http//joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pixelspace_sol
  arsystem.html
• Scroll to the right