Our Solar System S8.D.3.1.1-3

Universe Galaxy Infinity 2008 video

)Milky Way Galaxy (Our Galaxy)

Amazing ! Video Universe All of the matter and energy that exists  Everything (all of outer space) There are more stars in Universe than grains of sand in the world Galaxy  collection of stars and nebula  contains 100’s of billions of stars  Nebula cloud of dust and gas which condenses to form a new star Amazing ! Video Video

Solar System- contains: (1) one star (sun) (2) planets, dwarf planets, moons (3) Asteroids, comets, meteoroids NASA Planet Fact Site

Solar System The Sun is Earth’s closest star The Sun is the most massive body in our Solar System The sun is an average-size star in the Milky Way Galaxy

How The Sun Produces Energy: Nuclear Fusion Hydrogen atoms fuse to form helium atoms Lots of energy is given off in the process (7 forms of EM Radiation) H + H  He + energy Opposite of Nuclear Fission

What Happened To Pluto. in Aug What Happened To Pluto? in Aug. 2006 IAU (International Astronomical Union) changed the definition of a planet NASA Planet Fact Site PLANET Orbits the Sun Nearly Round Clears its own orbital path around the Sun Now have 8 planets DWARF PLANET Orbits the Sun Nearly Round Does not clear its own path around the Sun 5 Dwarf Planets so far (hundreds more to come) Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, Eris Video clip

Inner Planets vs Outer Planets NASA Planet Fact Site Inner Planets vs Outer Planets Small and Rocky Solid Surface Low mass High Density Close to sun Closely spaced orbits Few moons (if any) No rings Terrestrial Planets Mercury,Venus,Earth,Mars Large and Gaseous No solid surface High mass Low Density Far from sun Separated orbits Many moons Many rings Gas giants Jupiter,Saturn, Uranus, Neptune Size of planets video clip #2 Size of planets video clip

Mercury Surface resembles the moon’s No Moon or Atmosphere (very thin, hardly any) Shortest Year (88 E days)Revolves faster than any other planet (107,000 mph) and has the shortest distance to travel around the Sun Long DayRotates slowly takes 59 E. days Temperature Range (greatest of any planet) High = 800F Low = -274F *Days and nights are long, so it has lots of time to heat up and cool down. NASA Planet Fact Site

**Day is Longer than a Year on Venus** No Moon Atmosphere Very thick clouds made of CO2 and Sulfuric Acid Atmospheric pressure is 91x greater than Earth’s Severe Greenhouse Effect because of thick Carbon Dioxide Hottest Planet @ 900 F It rains Sulfuric Acid Day (Longest of any Planet) 243 E. Days Year  225 E. Days **Day is Longer than a Year on Venus** Video clip NASA Planet Fact Site Venus rotates the opposite way

Mars The Red Planet, because of the iron oxide (rust) in its soil NASA Planet Fact Site The Red Planet, because of the iron oxide (rust) in its soil Day= 24.5 hrs Year= 1.9 Earth Years Diameter = about ½ Earth No Liquid water today???, although it is thought to have had water in the past. Evidence of dried riverbeds and erosion exists. 2 Moons: Phobos (14 miles) Deimos (8 miles)  probably captured asteroids

Mars (Continued) NASA Planet Fact Site Permafrost- The soil is permanently frozen. Lots of frozen water in the soil Atmosphere is very thin and made mainly of carbon dioxide. Doesn’t retain much heat from the Sun so its average temperature is -85 F There are strong Dust storms on Mars

Mars (Continued) Interesting Features on Mars: Face Heart NASA Planet Fact Site Interesting Features on Mars: Face Heart Happy Face Crater Woman

Mars (Continued) Spacecraft: (some) Mariner 4  1st to visit in 1965 NASA Planet Fact Site Drive ME! Spacecraft: (some) Mariner 4  1st to visit in 1965 Viking I and II  landed in 1976 Mars Global Surveyor orbit in 1996 Pathfinder  in 1997 was 1st robotic rover on mars Mars Odyssey orbit in 2001 Spirit and Opportunity twin rovers in 2004 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter orbit in 2006 Phoenix Lander landed in 2008 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=886 clip clip virtual mars

Asteroid Belt Video clip: How to prevent a collision? NASA Planet Fact Site Hundreds of thousands of rocks that orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter Thought to be matter that failed to join with a planet because of Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull. Made of Rock and Metal Irregular shape (not spherical) Vary in size Smaller than planets None have atmospheres Video clip: How to prevent a collision?

Comets NASA Planet Fact Site Long elliptical orbits that take them far from the sun beyond Pluto and closer to the Sun than Earth. Made of Rock, Dust, and Ice Smaller than planets Irregular shaped Develop a tail as they get close to the sun

Meteoroid Meteor Meteorite rocky objects; smaller than asteroids and comets Broken off pieces of planets, moons, asteroids, or comets NASA Planet Fact Site Meteor a meteoroid burning in Earth’s atmosphere seen as a flash of light “shooting star” Meteorite a meteor that does not completely burn up in the atmosphere strikes the ground

Jupiter Largest Planet Very thick atmosphere of H and He NASA Planet Fact Site Largest Planet Very thick atmosphere of H and He - 240 F at cloud tops Thin ring system Over 60 moons (4 major) Shortest day (10 hrs)  poles flatten! Great Red Spot 2-3x size of earth Hurricane like storm going on for thousands of years

Saturn 2nd largest planet Will float in water (least dense planet) NASA Planet Fact Site 2nd largest planet Will float in water (least dense planet) - 290 F at cloud tops Over 60 moons Very thick atmosphere of H and He Most extensive Ring system of any planet ring particles are made almost entirely of water ice, with some contamination from dust and other chemicals.

Uranus and Neptune Thick atmosphere made of mainly H and He Both approx. -360 F at cloud tops Both have thin ring systems Uranus is tipped on its side and has 27 moons Neptune has 13 moons NASA Planet Fact Site