Our Solar System

Old Ideas Earth – Centered Model Sun – Centered Model – Copernicus – Moon revolves around Earth revolves around Sun! – Galilieo – proved it through his observations of Venus through the telescope Modern Idea: Our Solar System Is made of 9 planets and many Other objects which orbit The sun!

How it formed & Location Scientists hypothesize that the solar system formed from part of a nebula of gas, ice, and dust – Let’s see p.309 Location: The location of each planet is unique and with purpose. Their proximity to the sun affects the conditions of each surface. For example: Inner Planets – small, rocky, iron cores; Outer Planets – mostly rock, ice, and “lighter” substances such as hydrogen, helium, methane The location of each planet is due to its mass and therefore the pull of Gravity on it…let’s think about it… The sun’s IMMENSE gravity holds the planets in their orbits.

Intro to Planets Gizmo Solar System

Mercury Closest planet to the sun; Inner Planet Has many craters; has shrunk! (cliffs prove it) Low gravitational pull High daytime temperatures Lack of atmosphere

Our Solar System: Inner Planets Venus: 2 nd in Line; Inner Referred to as Earth’s twin Super dense clouds ; high temperatures and pressure; 450 C – 475 C Atmosphere causes Greenhouse affect Earth: 3 rd in Line; Inner 150 million km (1 astronomical unit) from sun Only known planet to sustain life

Mars: the last of the Inner Planets 4 th planet “Red Planet” because of iron oxide in the soil Mars has polar ice caps, channels that MAY have been carved by water, and the largest volcano in the Solar System: Olympus Mons!

Olympus Mons

Jupiter: Outer Planet Largest planet The Great Red Spot is actually a HUGE storm! Four Moons: Io – most volcanically active; Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto

Outer Planets Continued Saturn: 6 th Planet Large; gaseous planet Has a complex system of Rings! Uranus: 7 th Planet Has a bluish-green color due to methane in its atmosphere; tilted planet

Outer Planets Neptune: 7 th Planet Has the same bluish/green color as Uranus It’s atmosphere has strong storms and can rapidly change Pluto: To be or not to be? Small, ice-rock planet It’s moon, Charon, is ½ as large as the planet itself

Gizmo Comparing Earth to Venus

Other Celestial Bodies Comets: consist of dust, rock, and different types of ice; The Oort Cloud was proposed as a source of comets in our solar system Meteoroids, Meteors, Meterorites: Meteoroids are pieces of broken up comets -> when meteoroids break up in the atmosphere they’re called meteors -> meteor showers occur when Earth crosses the orbital path of a comet Asteroids: a piece of rock; occur between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter; this region is called the asteroid belt All About Space - Meteorites

Meteors

Comets

Asteroids

Gizmo Orbital Motion

Our Moons is Very important and affects us – whether you know it or not!

The Tides: Connected to our moon By far the most important factor, effecting the movement of water across the ocean are tides. Tides are great bulges of water, caused by the gravity of the Moon, and Sun. Attracted by gravity, these bulges move around the Earth’s oceans, causing water levels to rise and fall. Typically water will rise for about six hours, followed by six hours of falling water depths

Spring & Neap Tides The moon causes many of the tides in the Earth's oceans. This is because of the gravity force between the Earth and Moon. During full and new moons the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon combine to produce the highest tides called Spring Tides. During quarter moons the gravitational forces of the Sun and the Moon oppose each other to produce the lowest tides called Neap Tides. Gizmo Ocean TidesOcean Tides

Tides Continued

Our Moon Rocks!

The Moon The Moon takes about 27 days (27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, 11.6 seconds) to go all the way around the Earth and return to its starting position. The Moon's orbit around the Earth is a slightly squashed circle called an ellipse The Moon is 4.5 billion years old. More Info: junior.kent.sch.uk/time/moon/facts.htm

Why we see the moon. The Moon is not a light source, it does not make its own light. The moon reflects light from the sun. We can see the Moon because light from the Sun bounces off it back to the Earth. If the Sun wasn't there, we wouldn't be able to see the Moon. The Sun always lights up (illuminates) one side of the Moon. The Moon appears to change shape but what we are actually seeing is the Moon lit up by the light from the Sun in different ways on different days.

Moon Breakdown What is the phase of the moon? – The changing shape of the bright part of the Moon that we see is called its phase. What causes part of the Moon to be lit up? – The moon is illuminated because it reflects the light from the sun. The part of the moon facing the sun is lit up. The part facing away from the sun is in darkness. What causes the different phases of the Moon? – The phases of the Moon depend on its position in relation to the Sun and Earth. As the Moon makes its way around the Earth, we see the bright parts of the Moon's surface at different angles. These are called "phases" of the Moon

Moon Phases

Moon Phases Continued When the bright part is getting bigger, the Moon is waxing. When it is getting smaller, the Moon is waning. When the Moon is more than half-lit, it is called a gibbous Moon. When the moon is less than half-lit, it is called a crescent Moon Review

Eclipses Solar Eclipse A Solar Eclipse occurs when the moon goes in front of the sun and blocks most of the sun's light from the earth. During a total eclipse all you can see from earth is a ring of light around the moon which is part of the sun the moon did not cover. It is dangerous to look at a solar eclipse directly, even if you have sun glasses or smoked glass. It is better to view solar eclipses through a pin hole projector. Lunar Eclipse A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the shadow of the earth. A lunar eclipse can last up to an hour and a half. During a lunar eclipse the moon may turn a reddish color. It is not dangerous at all to look at a lunar eclipse because the moon does not make its own light.

Lunar Eclipse

Solar Eclipse

Moon Phases Seasons: Earth Moon and the Sun