Lesson 2: What makes up the Solar System? Unit 5: The solar system

Vocabulary #1 Solar System: A star and all the planets and other objects that revolve around it.

Vocabulary #2 Planet: A body that revolves around a star.

Vocabulary #3 Satellite A body in space that orbits a larger body.

Vocabulary #4 Asteroid: A piece of rock and metal that orbits the sun.

Vocabulary #5 Comet: A ball of ice, rock, and frozen gases that orbits the sun.

The Inner Planets A planet is a body that revolves around a star. Gravity holds that planet in place. Most planets have moons, or satellites. A satellite is a body that revolves around a planet. All inner planets are rocky and dense

MERCURY Closest to the sun About the size of our moon Temperature about 810° on side facing sun -290°on side not facing sun 3,000 miles in diameter 36,000,000 miles from sun Length of year: 88 Earth days

VENUS Brightest object in night sky Same size as Earth 860° (hotter than Mercury because of thick atmosphere) Diameter: 7,520 miles 67,000,000 miles from sun Length of year: 225 Earth days

EARTH!!! The only planet that can support life Only atmosphere that keeps temperatures at right level for life Diameter: 7,900 mi. 93,000,000 miles from sun Year: 365 ¼ days

MARS called the Red planet Atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide Must have once had water because it has river valleys Has the largest volcano in solar system Has dust storms that last for months Diameter: 4,200 miles 142,000,000 miles from sun Year: 687 Earth days

OUTER PLANETS The four outer planets are called gas giants because they are all very large and made up mostly of the gases hydrogen and helium.

JUPITER Largest planet Has a ring and dozens of moons Has a storm that has lasted 400 years Diameter: 89,000 miles 483,000,000 miles from sun Year: 11.9 Earth years

SATURN Rings made of ice, dust, boulders, and frozen gases Dozens of moons Can be seen without a telescope Diameter: 75,000 miles 887,000,000 miles from sun Year: 29.5 Earth years!

URANUS Many moons and rings Axis is tilted more than any other planet Diameter: 32,000 miles 887,000,000 miles from sun Year: 84 Earth years!

NEPTUNE Several rings and moons Strongest winds can reach 1200 miles per hour Diameter: 30,000 miles 2,799,000 miles from sun Year: 165 Earth years!

ASTEROIDS & COMETS Between Mars & Jupiter is an asteroid belt. It contains thousands of small rocky bodies called asteroids. Asteroids are chunks of rock too small to be called planets.

METEORS Pieces of rock traveling through space. They usually burn up when they hit Earth’s atmosphere. This results in a shooting star. When a meteor reaches Earth’s surface, it is called a meteorite.

COMETS A ball of ice, rock and frozen gases that orbits the sun. When near the sun, the center begins to melt. This forms a cloud of gas that is pushed into a long tail by energy from the sun.

Online Resources http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Ob0xR0Ut8 Bill Nye shows distances between planets (4:17) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8KZyj7aIA4&feature=related Magic School Bus in the Solar System (25:11)