THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Created by: Stephanie Demetre, Shelby Simon, Erica Hartsock, Carley Knipe

Introduction to Physical Science, EMPACTS Project, Fall 2012

Solar System

There are eight planets in our solar system

They all revolve around the sun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5bVZTpVxy4&feature=fvwrel

Sun

The sun was born a vast cloud of gas and dust around five billion years ago.

It’s the largest object in the Solar System.

The sun is so big that the Earth could fit inside a million times.

The temperature is 5,505C. (9,941F)

Mercury

Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system

It is the closest to our sun.

Orbits the sun once about eighty eight days. (Shortest orbital cycle of the planets).

Its surface experiences the steepest temperature gradient of all the planets ranging from 100k (279.67F) at night to 700k (800.33F) in the day.

Mercury’s axis has the smallest tilt of all the planets.

Venus

Venus is the second planet from the sun.

After the moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky.

It orbits the sun every 224.7 days.

One day on Venus is equivalent to 117 days on Earth.

Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the sun.

It is the fifth largest planet.

71% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water.

This is the only planet that water can exist in liquid form on the surface.

It takes 365 days to orbit the sun.

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the sun.

This planet is often known as the “red planet”.

It’s the second smallest planet in our solar system.

A day on Mars is equivalent to 1 day 5 hours and 5 minutes on Earth.

It takes 687 days to orbit the sun.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun

It’s the largest planet in the solar system.

It has three rings, Gossamer, Main, and Halo.

Jupiter has many storms. The big red spot, located on Jupiter is the largest hurricane in our solar system. Its been raging for over 300 hundred years.

You would weigh two and a half times as much as you would on earth.

Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun

It is the second largest planet in the Solar System.

It is surrounded by a system of rings that are made up of millions of ice crystals.

Saturn is very light and made up of more hydrogen than helium, so it is less dense. (It would float in a bath tub).

Storm winds race around it’s atmosphere at 800 kmp/h.

Uranus

The seventh planet from the Sun.

It is the fourth largest planet.

This planet has a faint ring system.

Uranus has 27 known moons.

The atmosphere is made out of methane, hydrogen, and helium.

Uranus spins on it’s side.

Neptune

Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in our Solar System.

It is the smallest of the four gas giants in our solar system. (Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, & Neptune)

Neptune has six rings, and thirteen moons.

It takes Neptune 60,190 days to make one orbit around the sun.

Activity

Draw/Make a model of the Solar System.

Have the planets in order by their distance from the sun.

You can find this information from the worksheet provided.

FUN FACT: MY VERY EAGER MOTHER JUST SERVED US NUGGETS.

References

http://www.planetfacts.net/Saturn-Facts.html

http://hiox.org/2496-interesting-facts-about-jupiter.php

http://www.planetfacts.net/Neptune-Facts.html

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/earth/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5bVZTpVxy4&feature=fvwrel

http://www.google.com/search?q=uranus+facts&aq=f&oq=uranus+facts&sugexp=chrome,mod=4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/mercury.htm

http://www.planetfacts.net/Mars-Facts.html