By: Mrs. Crisp The Outer Planets

S.P.I – Distinguish among the planets according to their known characteristics such as appearance, location, composition, and apparent motion – Select information from complex data representation to draw conclusions about the planets.

Academic Vocabulary Galilean Moons Four moons revolving around Jupiter that were discovered by Galileo Galilei. Comet A mixture of ice, frozen gasses, rock and dust left over from the formation of the solar system. Dwarf Planet A body in a solar system that is spherical, orbits the Sun, and does not clear its orbit of smaller debris..

What are the outer planets? The planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called the outer planets. JupiterSaturnUranusNeptune

What are the outer planets? The outer planets: 1.) Are all much larger than the inner planets. 2.) All rotate very rapidly. 3.) All have interiors different from the inner planets The outer planets have thick, gaseous atmospheres, a liquid interior, and a small solid core.

What do we know about Jupiter? (35 x 15 x 13 miles) in size Jupiter is a ball of gas so big that 1,000 Earth’s will fit in it. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system (89,000 miles, 11x Earth’s size). Jupiter is 480 million miles from the Sun. Jupiter has more mass that all of the other planets combined. Jupiter completes one orbit in 4,333 days (12 years). Jupiter rotates faster than any other planet. It only takes 9 hours and 56 minutes for Jupiter to spin around its axis. Jupiter’s atmosphere is made of hydrogen and helium with a small amount of methane, ammonia and water vapor. Jupiter’s core is made of metal, rock, and ice.

Jupiter's Red Spot? A huge storm on Jupiter was observed from Earth. The storm is called the “Great Red Spot”. Scientist think the Great Red Spot gets its color from sulfur and phosphorus in the atmosphere. The storm has been blowing continually for over 400 years with winds up to 270 miles per hour. The storms diameter is 24,800 miles (almost double the Earth’s diameter).

Jupiter's Moons Jupiter has over 30 moons! This is more than any other planet! The largest moons – Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa are called the Galilean moons. Galilean Moons Four moons revolving around Jupiter that were discovered by Galileo Galilei. These moons were discovered in Active volcanoes have been discovered on Io. Scientists wonder if life is present on Europa.

What do we know about Saturn? (35 x 15 x 13 miles) in size Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system. Saturn is 891 million miles from the sun. It take Saturn 29.5 years to make a complete trip around the sun. Saturn is not spherical, it is flattened at its poles. A day on Saturn only last 10 hours and 39 minutes. Saturn’s atmosphere is composed of mostly hydrogen and helium. Saturn’s winds are 1,100 miles per hour. Orbiting around Saturn are rings made of ice and rock. Saturn has the largest system of rings. Scientists think the rings may be pieces of comets, asteroids, or moons. Comets A mixture of ice, frozen gasses, rock and dust left over from the formation of the solar system.

What do we know about Uranus? (35 x 15 x 13 miles) in size Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun. Uranus was the first planet discovered by telescope. Uranus orbits the sun every 84 Earth years. Uranus is unusual because it looks like it was knocked on its side (Scientists think this is due to a collision with another object). Uranus’ axis is tilted at 98 ৹, this means summer at the North Pole lasts for 21 years and the same is true for winter It’s atmosphere is made up of hydrogen (83%), helium (15%), and methane (2%). The planet’s blue color is due to the methane in it’s upper atmosphere. Scientists think the core of Uranus is made of rock and ice surrounded by a layer of ammonium, water, and methane Uranus has at least 27 moons, many which names come from the works of Shakespeare (Ophelia and Juliet).

What do we know about Neptune? (35 x 15 x 13 miles) in size Neptune is the last planet in our solar system. Neptune is 2.8 billion miles from the sun. The light from the Sun is 900 times fainter on Neptune than on Earth because it is so far away. It takes Neptune 165 years to orbit the sun (the longest time of any other planet). Neptune can rotate on it’s axis in 16 hours. Neptune is 4 times larger than Earth. Neptune’s atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium, methane (which gives it it’s blue color) and water. Neptune has the strongest winds of any planet (up to 1,250 miles per hour). Neptune has at least 5 rings but none are very bright. Neptune has at least 13 moons, one being larger than Pluto.

Dwarf Planets Pluto was once known as the ninth planet. In 2006, scientists reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet Scientist currently recgonize three dwarf planets, Pluto, Eris, and Ceres. Dwarf Planet An object that is spherical in shape, orbits the sun, and does not clear its orbit of smaller debris.

Pluto Pluto is two-thirds the size of the Earth’s Moon. Pluto is 3.7 billion miles from the Sun. Pluto has a rocky core surrounded by water and ice. Dwarf Planets

Eris In 2005, Eris was discovered. Eris is slightly larger than Pluto. It takes Eris 557 years to complete one revolution around the Sun. Eris only has one moon, Dysnomia. Dwarf Planets

Ceres Ceres was discovered in It is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres has a diameter of 590 miles. Dwarf Planets