1. The Solar System

2. How the Universe Formed? Our solar system is part of a bigger system called a galaxy Our galaxy is part of a bigger system called the universe

3. How the Universe Formed? Theory on how the universe formed called the Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory – the universe formed from a massive expansion approximately 12-14 bya

4. How our Solar System Formed The Nebular Theory – explains that solar system was formed from a rotating disk of dust and gas Formed ~4.6 bya

5. What makes up our Solar System? The center of our solar system is our sun and the following planets elliptically revolve around it (in order from closest to farthest) – Mercury – Venus – Earth – Mars – Jupiter – Saturn – Uranus – Neptune

6. Other Members of our Solar System Asteroids – small, rocky bodies; most are between Mars and Jupiter

7. Other Members of our Solar System Comets – pieces of rocky and metallic materials held together by frozen gases; they orbit the sun – Most famous comet is Halley’s comet which orbits by Earth every 76 years (next visit 2062) – Kuiper belt – comets on far side of Neptune

9. Other Members of our Solar System Meteoroids – “shooting stars”; little chunky of rock and debris in space – Meteors – don’t enter Earth’s atmosphere – Meteorites –reach Earth’s surface