The Solar System

The solar system A solar system is a group of planets orbiting a central star. The solar system contains a sun, 8 planets, 3 dwarf planets, and various moons and asteroids In 2006 the International Astronomical Union decided to remove Pluto as a planet and create a new category after the discovery of an object bigger then Pluto

The Sun The Sun is the largest thing in the solar system Its radius is the same as twice the distance from the earth to the moon All the planets are bound to the sun by gravity

Revolution and Rotation of the Planets All the planets in the solar system revolve around the sun in a counterclockwise direction in slightly elliptical orbits (revolution) All planets also spin about their axis in a counterclockwise direction* (rotation)

Mercury Closest planet to the sun million km from the sun Orbital period 88 days Made of rock Temperature -180 to 426 Celsius

Venus 108 million km from the sun Orbital Period days Clockwise Rotation Rocky surface with a thick atmosphere Temp 470 degrees at surface

Earth Only Planet to support life 150 million km from sun Orbital Period days Temperature -85 to 58 degrees Rocky core nitrogen oxygen atmosphere One moon

Mars 228 million km from sun Orbital period 687 days Half the size of Earth Temperature -120 to 30 degrees Rocky Surface with a thin atmosphere 2 moons Phobos and Deimos

Jupiter 778 million km from sun Orbital Period 11.9 earth years Gas giant made of hydrogen, helium, and methane. Largest planet in the solar system Temp -160 degrees Failed star?

Saturn 1427 million km from sun Orbital period 29.5 Earth years Gas Giant made of hydrogen, helium, methane Distinctive dust and ice rings Temp -180 Degrees

Uranus Ok we all know the joke 2870 million km from sun 84.1 year orbit Tilted on side? Rotation opposite to other planets Temperature -210 degrees

Neptune 4497 million km from the sun Orbital period years Gas Giant Thin rings Temp -220 degrees

Dwarf Planets Adopted in 2006 Dwarf planets are objects that –orbit the sun –have enough mass to become round –not large enough to have an impact on their area There are currently 3 dwarf planets Eris, Pluto, and Ceres

Eris discovered in 2005 goddess of discord and strife. Mass 1.64×10 22 kg (bigger then Pluto) Distance au (beyond Pluto year orbit Moon: Dysnomia Highly elipitcal orbit

Pluto 5900 million km from sun year orbital period Much smaller then earth rocky One moon Charon Temperature -220 Degrees

Ceres Smallest dwarf planet in the solar system Located in the asteroid belt between mars and Jupiter Distance from sun au Mass 9.46×10 20 kg Only 950 km across, smaller then the moon Dawn mission probe to Ceres in 2015