Solar System & Universe Study Guide This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Study Guide: Universe & Solar System 8 planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune The Asteroid Belt Ptolemy created a solar system model with Earth in the center. Copernicus created a solar system model with the Sun in the center. Heliocentric model

Study Guide: Universe & Solar System 7. Compare & Contrast Meteors are shooting stars burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. Meteoroids are chunks of rock less than 1m floating in space. Meteorites are meteors that hit the Earth’s surface.

Study Guide: Universe & Solar System 8. Rocks and metals 9. rocks, dust, ice, & frozen gases; the tail points away from the sun 10. Spiral, on the Orion arm 11. spiral, elliptical, irregular 12. Galaxies * Youngest = Irregular * Oldest = Ellipticals 13. The Asteroid Belt

Study Guide: Universe & Solar System 14. Inner Planets/Terrestrial Planets Rocky surface, few moon, smaller, w/ dense cores. Mercury = no atmosphere (extreme heat & cold), 1 revolution = 88 days. Venus = thick atmosphere, 462˚C from greenhouse gases, Earth’s sister (same size) Earth = only planet w/life & water Mars = red from iron in soil, tallest volcano (Olympus Mons), dust storms

Study Guide: Universe & Solar System 15. Outer Planets/Gas Giants Large planets, mostly gaseous atmosphere, lots of moons. Jupiter = spins fastest (9.9 hrs), largest, Great Red Spot = storm raging over 300 yrs. Saturn = least dense (could float), impressive rings, farthest planet seen without telescope. Uranus = tipped on side, rotates up & down, coldest planet Neptune = windiest (over 2,000 km/hr), longest orbit (165 yrs around the sun), Great Dark Spot = storm like Jupiter’s, blue from Methane in atmosphere

Study Guide: Universe & Solar System 16. About 13-15 billion years ago. 17. Big Bang 18. Pinwheel shape, rich in gas & dust, bulge & disk, young & old stars. 19. Round or oval shape, bulge only, cool gas & dust, mostly old stars. 20. No predictable shape, rich in gas & dust, youngest stars.