1. (8th) Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
“The Outer Planets

2. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
Key Questions
What characteristics do the gas giants have in common?
What characteristics distinguish each of the outer planets?

3. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
Key Terms
gas giant-
ring-

4. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
511 × 511 - en.wikipedia.org
Paragraph 1
gas giants:
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune;
larger/more massive than Earth;
do not have solid surfaces.

5. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
511 × 511 - en.wikipedia.org
Paragraph 2
gas giants:
composed mainly of hydrogen, helium;
much stronger gravity (more mass) than inner planets;
thick atmosphere;
all have many moons;
each has a set of rings;
ring: thin disk of small particles ice/rock.

6. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
511 × 511 - en.wikipedia.org
Paragraph 3
Jupiter:
largest/most massive planet;
“Great Red Spot” interesting feature;
probably dense core rock/iron;
4 largest moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto;
all larger than Earth’s moon.

8. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
511 × 511 - en.wikipedia.org
Paragraph 4
Saturn:
2nd largest planet;
average density less than water;
most spectacular set of rings.

10. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
511 × 511 - en.wikipedia.org
Paragraph 5
Uranus:
4x diameter of Earth;
2x Earth’s distance from the sun;
looks blue-green due to presence of methane;
axis of rotation 90 degrees from vertical;
rotates from top to bottom instead of side to side.

12. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
511 × 511 - en.wikipedia.org
Paragraph 6
Neptune:
cold, blue planet;
atmosphere contains visible clouds;
discovered through mathematical calculation;
has at least 13 moons.

14. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
511 × 511 - en.wikipedia.org
Paragraph 7
Pluto:
solid surface;
much smaller/denser than gas giants;
3 known moons, largest is Charon;
rotates around sun 1 every 248 Earth years;
declassified from planet status;
now considered a “dwarf planet”.

16. Chapter 14-4 Cornell Notes
511 × 511 - en.wikipedia.org
Paragraph 8
dwarf planet:
round;
orbits the sun;
but “neighborhood” not cleared;
3 known dwarf planets in the solar system including Pluto.