1. L ist the 9 planets in our solar system. Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto (dwarf planet)
2. List each planet and the main facts about each.
Mercury 2 nd smallest planet no atmosphere craters smooth terrain deep slopes 1 rotation = 59 days Temp: 800 F to -279 F
Venus Orbits sun every 255 days Thick clouds Volcanic activity Tectonic activity 80% plains covered by volcanic flows Temp: 887 F Atmosphere is 97% CO2
Earth Circumference at N and S poles: 24,901 miles Distance from sun: 93,020,000 miles Distance from moon: 238,857 miles Highest elevation on earth: Mt. Everest, Asia, 29,035 feetMt. Everest Highest mountain from base to peek: Mauna Kea, Hawaii, 33,480 feetMauna Kea Lowest elevation on land: Dead sea, 1369 feet below sea level. Israel/JordanDead sea Deepest point in the ocean: Mariana trench, Western Pacific Ocean, 35,840 feet deep.Mariana trench Highest recorded temperature: F Lowest recorded temperature: F 70.8% water, 29.2% land Age of earth: 4.6 billion years Atmosphere content: 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, traces of argon, carbon dioxide, water. Rotation on axis: 23 hours, 56 minutes, seconds Revolution around the sun: days
Mauna Kea
Mt. Everest
The Dead Sea
Mariana Trench
Mars The red planet White polar caps Large dust storms Hurricane force winds Large volcanoes Large canyons Temp: - 94 F to – 148 F
Jupiter largest planet 1 rotation = 10 hours great red spot – a cyclonic storm hydrogen-helium atmosphere winds cause light and dark bands immense gravity gigantic ocean of liquid hydrogen 28 moons
Saturn years to make one revolution around the sun Rings made of ice and rock particles Winds up to mph Large cyclonic storms 31 moons
Uranus Rotates on its side Has rings Takes years to make one revolution around the sun
Neptune Winds up to 625 mph Great dark spot – a large rotating storm 13 moons
Pluto 248 years to orbit the sun classified as a dwarf planet Average temp: 346 F Dirty ice ball
3. L ist the terrestrial planets. Mercury Venus Earth Mars
4. What does the term, “terrestrial” mean? Earth-like
5.List the jovian planets. Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
6.What does the term, “jovian” mean? Jupiter-like
7. What are the terrestrial planets made of? Rocky and metallic substances
8. What are the jovian planets made of? Gases – hydrogen and helium Ice
9. Nebula Cloud of dust and gas in space
10.What is the nebular theory? The sun and planets formed from a rotating disk of dust and gases
Nebular Theory
11.Planetesimals Small, irregular shaped bodies resulting from colliding bits of matter.
Planetesimals
12.How did the distance from the sun affect the creation of planets? Planets closer to the sun formed from materials with higher melting points – metals and silicate minerals. Planets further from the sun formed with solid materials and ices.
13.Asteroid Small rocky bodies
14.Comet Pieces of rocky and metallic materials
15.Coma The glowing head on a comet
16.Meteoroid A small solid particle traveling through space.
17.When is a meteoroid called a shooting star? When it enters the earth’s atmosphere.
18.Meteor A meteoroid that does not enter the earth’s atmosphere.
19.Meteorite A meteoroid that reaches the earth’s surface.