Stephanie’s Planets

Sun We now know that the Sun is just a star. And so, it can be classified into categories like the other stars in the Universe.

Major Features•The sun lies at the heart of the solar system, where it is by far the largest object• it holds 99.8 percent of the solar systemWhat the sun is made of•The sun is made up of two main elements, Hydrogen and HeliumTechnology•We can’t sent any technology to the sun because its to hot.Facts•The Sun is the Solar System•The Sun is pretty bright•The Sun is middle aged

Mercury Mercury got its name from the Roman messenger, Mercury. Mercury was a fast messenger, so Mercury orbits the sun fast.

Major Features- Timocharis made the first recorded observation of Mercury in 265 BC.What is it made of• Mercury has a large core of liquid metal surrounded by a mantle of silica and a solid outer crust.Technology we have sent up there•Humans have sent space probes to take pictures of Mercury from orbit around the planet, Interesting Facts•Mercury has an atmosphere•There might be ice on Mercury•Mercury has a magnetic field

Venus Venus was named after the Roman Goddess of Love (in Greek, Aphrodite)

Crater

What is Venus made of?Venus is made up of a central iron core and a rocky mantle, similar to the composition of Earth. Its atmosphere is mainly made up of carbon dioxide (96%) and nitrogen (3%), with small amounts of other gases.Facts•Venus really is the Earth’s twin.• Venus can be so bright it casts shadows•The atmosphere is very hostile

Earth The name "Earth" is derived from both English and German words

•The name "Earth" is derived from both English and German words•Earth has a molten core consisting of mostly iron and nickelMAJOR FEATURES•The grand canyon, the Bermuda triangle and its endless oceans.•Because of technology we live on this planet.

Fun Facts About earth•A photo of the earth has been taken from a distance of 3.7 billion miles.•The earth is smoother than a bowling ball.•97% of water on earth is salted.

Mars Mars is named after the Roman God of War

Crater Major features

• The largest shield volcano on the Earth is Mauna Loa

• Mars has a core that is mainly iron and sulfur

Technology Sent to mars• Around the world they have sent 4

rovers up there, they found rocks and evidence showing that we are NOT alone in this galaxy.

Interesting facts about Mars• Mars is actually pretty small• Mars has the tallest mountain in

the Solar System• And Mars has the longest, deepest

canyon in the Solar System

Rover

Jupiter In the Roman pantheon, Jupiter began as the sky god

Major Features• Because Jupiter is

not solid its parts do not rotate at exactly the same velocity.

• It also has an large, complex, and very intense magnetic field, and has a system of 16 moons

• Jupiter is mainly composed of hydrogen and helium just like a star.

Technology• The exploration

of Jupiter has to date been conducted via close observations by automated aircrafts.

Interesting Facts• Jupiter is the fastest spinning planet in the Solar System.• Jupiter is massive.• Jupiter can’t ever become a star.

Saturn Saturn was named after the Roman god of agriculture

Major Features• Saturn is the second most

massive planet, and also the second largest in size

• Saturn has the lowest density of any planet, 0.7 g/cc, which is less than that of water.

What Saturn is made of• Saturn is composed of 96%

hydrogen, 3% helium, and 1% various trace elements that include methane, ammonia, ethane, and hydrogen deuteride.

Interesting Facts• Saturn is the least dense

planet in the Solar System• Saturn is a flattened ball• The first astronomers

thought the rings were moons.

Technology we sent to Saturn• In the year 1973 the

United States of America sent the space probe Pioneer-Saturn to fly past, and study Jupiter and Saturn.

Uranus Uranus is named after the ancient Greek god of the sky, who was the father of Kronos

Technology•A Trojan asteroid is a transient space rock which is temporarily captured by the gravity of a giant planet

Facts•Uranus is the coldest planet in the Solar System• Uranus is turned over on its side•Summer on Uranus lasts one long day – 42 years

Neptune Neptune was named after the god of the sea

Major Features• It is the last non-controversial planet in the solar system.What Neptune is made of•The core of Neptune is probably composed of liquid rock•Technology we have sent to Neptune.•Neptune has not yet been discovered. Also no technology has been sent to Neptune. In the 20 years we will be sending a rover to explore Neptune.

Facts•The core of Neptune is probably composed of liquid rock•Neptune is the smallest of the gas giants•Neptune’s surface gravity is almost Earthlike

Criteria to be a planet

•It must be an object which independently orbits the Sun•It must have enough mass so that gravity pulls it into a roughly steroidal shape•It must be large enough to "dominate" its orbit (ie. its mass must be much larger than anything else which crosses its orbit

Pluto

Why Pluto Was Demoted•It needs to be in orbit around the Sun – Yes, so maybe Pluto is a planet.•It needs to have enough gravity to pull itself into a spherical shape – Pluto…check•It needs to have “cleared the neighborhood” of its orbit – Uh oh. Here’s the rule breaker. According to this, Pluto is not a planet.