Exploring Our Solar System Pam Cohea

You are standing in the middle of a desert. Everywhere you look is sand. This represents the universe.

Universe

Now take a scoop of the sand in your hand. This represents our Milky Way Galaxy.

Milky Way Galaxy

Now take one pinch of the endless sand. This represents our Solar System.

If you pinched 100 grains of sand between your fingers and you counted out 98 of those grains, that would represent the mass of the sun. The other two grains of sand would represent the mass of the combination of all the planets, planetoids, moons, asteroids, meteors and comets.

(Dwarf Planet)

Remembering Planet (and Dwarf Planet) Order from the Sun My Mercury My Mercury Very Venus Very Venus Exited Earth Exited Earth Mom Mars Mom Mars Just Jupiter Just Jupiter Served Saturn Served Saturn Us Uranus Us Uranus Noodles Neptune Noodles Neptune My Mercury Very Venus Exciting Earth Magic Mars Carpet Ceres Just Jupiter Sailed Saturn Under Uranus Nine Neptune Palace Pluto Elephants Eris

Which celestial bodies are we comparing? Make the Models! Teacher Instructions for Activity

Click on the links to view the phases of the moon. sc.edu/~dolan/java/ MoonPhase.html sc.edu/~dolan/java/ MoonPhase.html sc.edu/~dolan/java/ MoonPhase.html sc.edu/~dolan/java/ MoonPhase.html net/~krcool/Astro/m oon/moonphase/ net/~krcool/Astro/m oon/moonphase/ Click the Moon to access Moon Phases Activity Why do we see only one side of the moon? Click below for activity to find out!

Revolution Around the Sun = One Year Click to see Earth Revolve

Rotation or Spinning on its axis = 24 hours = 1 day/night Click below to view a rotation model. Continue clicking on the arrow at the bottom of each page of the site to see a model demonstrating the reason for seasonal changes.

Volcanoes In The Solar System Click below for information!

Making and Mapping a Volcano This excellent activity from NASA can be accessed by clicking Olympus Mons

Astronomy for Kids

4th grade classes study... The Solar System Star Child

Works Sited Credits Galaxy Picture credit: ESO. Observations have been carried out using the MPG/ESO 2.2m Telescope and the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla observatory under Program-ID No. 164.O-0561 Galaxy Picture credit: ESO. Observations have been carried out using the MPG/ESO 2.2m Telescope and the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) at the La Silla observatory under Program-ID No. 164.O-0561ESO Milky Way Picture Credit:E. L. Wright (UCLA), The COBE Project, DIRBE, NASA via Astronomy Picture of the Day Milky Way Picture Credit:E. L. Wright (UCLA), The COBE Project, DIRBE, NASA via Astronomy Picture of the DayE. L. WrightUCLAThe COBE ProjectDIRBENASA Astronomy Picture of the DayE. L. WrightUCLAThe COBE ProjectDIRBENASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Sixe Comparison Pictures Sixe Comparison Pictures Links to websites are within presentation Links to websites are within presentation McDonald Observatory Resources McDonald Observatory Resources