1. Our Solar System An introduction to our planets

3. The Sun  At the Center (and we do go around it …..)  99.85% mass of Solar System  92% H / 8% He  Source of solar wind and space weather Image:http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03149

4. Inner Planets  “Terrestrial Planets”  Rocky  Dense  Metal cores (iron) Images: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178

5. Asteroids Image: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=2093http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=2093  “Minor planets” or “planetoids” less than 1000 km across  Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter  Occasionally run into Earth and other planets (oops) Ida

6. Outer Planets  Large!  Gases and liquids  No solid surface  May have a small solid core  Tumultuous atmospheres - rapid winds, large storms  Rotate relatively quickly Image: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178

7. Kuiper Belt  Disk of debris at the edge of our Solar System  Pluto is a KB Object (sorry!)  Source of short- period comets

8. MERCURY  Closest planet to the Sun, but not the hottest due to lack of an atmosphere  Smallest planet in the Solar System  Surface covered in craters, just like Earth's Moon; solid iron core(3/4) surrounded by liquid iron and silicate mantleEarth's Moon  Temperature (up to 350°c on its sunlit side and -170°c on its dark side)  One year lasts for only 88 Earth days  One day takes 59 Earth days

9. VENUS  For years, Venus was called Earth's Sister Planet or Twin  Named after the ancient Roman god of love  Very heavy atmosphere (97% CO 2, sulfuric acid clouds)  896 O F….that’s HOT!

10. EARTH  Three layers: core, mantle, crust  Atmosphere has five layers, which together serve to block harmful rays and insulate/regulate temperature  Only planet that we know of that is capable of sustaining life

11. MARS  About half the size of Earth, but is most Earth-like  Thin atmosphere is being blown away by Sun’s wind  Is reddish in color due to the iron oxide - commonly known as rust - that is in the soil.  Could possibly be made habitable by man

12. Asteroid Belt  Asteroids are left over materials from the formation of the Solar System. These materials were never incorporated into a planet because of their proximity to Jupiter's strong gravity.

13. JUPITER ✶ Largest planet (1320 Earths) ✶ Great Red Spot (immense storm) ✶ Most moons of all planets (63) ✶ Named after Roman god of lightning (king of the gods) ∗ Gas giant (huge atmosphere) ∗ Liquid rock core, liquid mantle, liquid nitrogen, hydrogen and helium gases

14. SATURN  Gas planet (least dense planet)  Structure is very similar to Jupiter  Atmosphere is also mostly hydrogen and helium  Great white spot(?)  Magnificent rings likely caused by a collision between two of its satellites

15. URANUS  Gas giant  Liquid rock core surrounded by an “ocean” of hydrogen, helium, and water, with small amounts of ammonia and methane  Bland, almost featureless atmosphere made of hydrogen, helium, methane and ammonia  Only planet that rotates on its side!  Named after Greek god of the heavens

16. Neptune  “Twin” of Uranus, except that its atmosphere has much more detail  Unique Great Dark Spot (not much known)  Named after the ancient Roman god of the sea

18. MercuryVenusEarthMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptune Mean distance from the sun (10 6 km) 57.91081502287781,4302,8704,500 Period of revolution (years) 0.2410.6151.001.8811.929.584.0165 Orbital speed (km/s) 47.935.029.824.113.19.646.815.43

19. Relationship between distance and speed MercuryVenusEarthMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptune Mean distance from the sun (10 6 km) 57.91081502287781,4302,8704,500 Period of revolution (years) 0.2410.6151.001.8811.929.584.0165 Orbital speed (km/sec) 47.935.029.824.113.19.646.815.43

22. Solar System Overview Image: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?IM_ID=178 FYI … Distance Not To Scale …