Gas giants and terrestrial planets The Planets Gas giants and terrestrial planets

Bellringer! They’re all mixed up! Gas Giants Both Terrestrial Planets Saturn Uranus Mercury Smaller Have a crust, mantle, and core Outside asteroid belt Have deep atmospheres Earth Revolve around the sun Spherical Rotate on an axis Jupiter Generally more moons Rings Mars Venus Inside asteroid belt Inside the Kuiper Belt Generally less moons No rings Neptune Larger

Check Your Work! Gas Giants Both Terrestrial Planets Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Larger Outside asteroid belt Generally more moons Rings Have deep atmospheres Revolve around the sun Spherical Inside the Kuiper Belt Rotate on an axis Mars Earth Mercury Venus Have a crust, mantle, and core Smaller Inside asteroid belt Generally less moons No rings

Mercury Closest planet to the Sun Heavily cratered due to thinner atmosphere Massive iron core surrounded by volcanic rock Largest differences in temperature between day and night

Venus Closest in size to Earth Has the opposite rotation as Earth Surface covered in volcanoes Atmosphere is toxic and full of greenhouse gases. Sulfuric acid rain, extremely high pressure, and hottest temperatures of any planet make it off limits to human exploration.

Check In How does Mercury’s thin atmosphere contribute to how many craters it has? Tip: Think about the differences between a meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite. How does the geography of Venus’s surface contribute to its hostile climate? Tip: The green house gasses on Earth are the same as you would find on Venus. Where would these gases come from on Venus?

Earth Home, Sweet, Home Liquid water and moderate temperature make it ideal for life. Only planet with active tectonic plates Moon Gravity is 1/6 of Earth Same side is always facing Earth because it’s rotation period equals its revolution period.

Mars Dusty, rocky surface littered with volcanic boulders. Orange-red because of iron in the dust. Geography includes volcanoes, craters, and canyons. Once had flowing water. Thin atmosphere composed of carbon dioxide.

Check In All terrestrial planets have a rocky surface. Why can’t we land rovers on every terrestrial planet? Tip: Think about the geography of each planet. What would be the biggest obstacle in colonizing Mars? Is there a way we can over come it? Tip: Compare it’s atmosphere to Earth, now think about the process of cellular respiration.

Reflection - RAFT Role: Rover on the way to Venus Audience: The NASA control room Format: DM chat Topic: What you are seeing, smelling, hearing, and feeling on your journey

Neil Degrasse Tyson on Planetary Weather Bell Ringer Video

Jupiter Largest and most massive planet in the solar system Fastest rotating planet Strong winds create strange weather Great Red Spot – Storm that has been turning for 350+ years Has over 60 moons Some volcanic, some icy

Saturn Second largest planet, but less dense than water. Thin but extensive rings consist of orbiting particles. Gaps between ring bands are occupied by moons. Some moons have water geysers, some have methane lakes.

Check In What does Saturn’s density tell you about its gravitational force compared to Jupiter? Hint: Density increases when mass increases, and density decreases when mass decreases. Why are the wind speeds on gas giant planets so much greater than on terrestrial planets? Hint: It has nothing to do with size.

Uranus Uranus is tilted 98° on its axis. That makes seasons last 21 years! Tilt may have been caused by the gravity of Jupiter and Saturn or by close encounters with Neptune. Methane gas gives it its blue-green color. Has 27 moons

Neptune Most distant planet from the sun. Blue color is due to methane gas and thinner atmosphere. Strongest winds of any planet. Weather may be controlled by an internal heat source, rather than the sun. Has 13 moons Triton orbits the opposite way and is slowly spiraling in toward Neptune.

Check In Describe what will happen to Triton as it continues its orbit pattern? Hint: How does that attraction between Triton and Neptune change as its orbits? How would Earth be affected if our axial tilt was like Uranus’s? Hint: How would it affect the North and South Poles?