The Solar System week 7th grade science .ppt

tHE solar syastem

1. THE SOLAR SYSTEM

2. USED WITH PERMISSION OF V.MORRIS,
PHILLIPS PREPARATORY SCHOOL

3. What is Astronomy?
1. Astronomy is the study of the universe.
–This includes planets, stars, galaxies, black
holes, moons, meteors, comets, asteroids and
all of the matter that exists in space.
2. Astronomers are scientists who observe &
study space.

4. Modern Calendar
1.Our modern calendar is based on the
observations of bodies in our solar system.
2. A year is the time it takes for the Earth to orbit
the sun; year = revolution.

5. Modern Calendar
3. A month is the time it takes for the moon to orbit
the Earth.
4. A day is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate
once on its axis; day = rotation.

6. The Size and Scale of our Universe
It is important to consider scale when we
think about the universe.
Stars appear to be very small when viewed
from Earth, but they are actually very
large, some, like our sun, are bigger than
Earth.

7. The Scale of our Solar System

8. SCALE OF THE UNIVERSE
Mercury
SUN

9. OUR GALAXY AND SCALE
Our Milky Way galaxy is huge.
Let's now pretend that our galaxy is a kid's sandbox, and our sun is a
grain of sand in a sandbox.
The Earth is a dust speck near the grain of sand, too small to be
seen without a microscope.
If our sun were a grain of sand in this sandbox representing the
Milky Way galaxy, the sandbox would be somewhat oval and yet
flat, and would be about 6 meters in diameter.
The sand would be about 30 cm thick in the center, and thinner
towards the edges.

10. •Each swirling object
you see is a galaxy in
our universe.
1. We can estimate that
there are about 100
billion stars in our
galaxy.
2. Andromeda is the
nearest major galaxy to
our own Milky Way
Galaxy.
3. Most scientists
believe that Andromeda
is about 2 million light
years away from the
Milky Way.
THE MILKY WAY GALAXY: Spiral
Galaxy

11. MILKY WAY GALAXY: HOME TO OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
EACH POINT OF LIGHT IN THE GALAXY IS A STAR.

12. DISTANCE IN SPACE
1.Distance in space—mainly distance outside of our
solar system—is measured in light years.
Example: distance to another star; which is a very, very, large distance
2.A light year is the distance light travels in a year,
9.46 trillion km. IT IS NOT TIME!!!
3. Light travels at 299,337 km per second.
4. If light from a star takes 15 years to reach us, the star
is 15 light years away.

13. The Moon is 1.3 light-seconds from the Earth.
Earth is about 8 light-minutes (~92 million miles) away from the Sun.
This means light from the Sun takes 8 minutes to reach us.

14. An Astronomical Unit
1. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is
149 million km.
2. 149 million km = 1 astronomical unit
3. This is the unit of measurement for
distances between planets in our solar
system

15. Planet
Average Distance from the Sun
(measured in AU)
Mercury 0.39
Venus 0.723
Earth 1.0
Mars 1.524
Jupiter 5.203
Saturn 9.539
Uranus 19.18
Neptune 30.06
Astronomical Unit (AU) for the
planets- 1AU = 93,000,000 miles

16. G. THE SUN: THE STAR AT THE CENTER OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
1. Wider than 100 Earths
2. 5,500 °C on surface & 10000000 °C in its
core
3. Less bright & massive than the very largest
stars
4. Our sun is a medium sized star.

17. SIZE IN THE UNIVERSE- LARGEST TO
SMALLEST
1.Universe
2.Galaxy
3.Solar system
4.Star
5.Planet

18. QUIZ

19. The Inner Planets
http://science.discovery.com/video-topics/space-v
ideos
Space Videos

20. THE INNER PLANETS: THE TERRESTRIAL PLANETS;
ALL ARE DENSE & ROCKY
1.Mercury
2.Venus
3.Earth
4.Mars
5. The inner planets have fewer moons than the outer planets. Less
mass = fewer moons.

21. THE INNER PLANETS’ ORBITS

22. INNER PLANETS
1. Small and dense
2. Rocky
3. Terrestrial
4. Low mass
5. 3 moons for all 4 planets
6. Low mass=few moons

23. MERCURY- LOW MASS
1.No moons
2.Resembles our moon
3.Covered in creaters,
4.No rings
5.Closest to the sun
6.Big, grey rock made of iron
7.Smallest planet-fastest revolution in the solar system
8.Temperature variations are the most extreme in the solar
system, 750 degrees on sunny side, -328 F on dark side
9.Revolution 88 days; Rotatation every 58 days
10.No atmosphere

24. Mercury
In Roman mythology Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and
thievery, the Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes, the
messenger of the Gods. The planet probably received this name
because it moves so quickly across the sky.
http://www.nineplanets.org/mercury.html

25. VENUS- LOW MASS
1.Earth’s twin
2.2
nd
planet from the Sun
3.Brightest planet
4.No moons
5.Thick yellow clouds of acid
6.No rings
7.Dense nickel & iron planet w/a molten core
8.covered by many shield volcanoes
9.Hottest planet in solar system at 860°F due to its thick
atmosphere
10.Atmosphere made of carbon dioxide (90%) & sulfuric acid,
which creates a monstrous greenhouse effect.
11.Revolution: 243 days

26. VENUS
Venus (Greek: Aphrodite; Babylonian: Ishtar) is the goddess of love and beauty.
The planet is so named probably because it is the brightest of the planets known
to the ancients. (With a few exceptions, the surface features on Venus are named
for female figures.)
Venus has been known since prehistoric times. It is the brightest object in the sky
except for the Sun and the Moon.
http://www.nineplanets.org/venus.html

27. EARTH- LOW MASS
1.Third planet from the Sun
2.Made completely of rock; core made of iron & nickel;
3.1 moon—Luna
4.NO rings
5.Densest planet
6.Has water in all 3 states of matter (solid, liquid,& gas)
7.Revolution 365 days.
8.Only planet to sustain life.
9.93 million miles form the Sun-1 AU
10.Atmosphere allows for life to exist

28. EARTH’S MOON: LUNA (384,400 KM FROM EARTH)
Called Luna by the Romans, Selene and Artemis by the Greeks, and many
other names in other mythologies.
The Moon, of course, has been known since prehistoric times. It is the
second brightest object in the sky after the Sun. As the Moon orbits around
the Earth once per month, the angle between the Earth, the Moon and the
Sun changes; we see this as the cycle of the Moon's phases. The time
between successive new moons is 29.5 days (709 hours).
http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html

29. MARS- LOW MASS
1.The Red Planet – due to iron oxide
2.Has 2 volcanoes—Tharsis (8,000 km wide) & Olympus
Mons—an extinct shield volcano the largest volcano in the
solar system
3.Temperature ranges: -125 degrees-23 degrees F
4.2 moons: Phobos & Deimos (mean fear & panic)
5.Revolution: 1 year 322 days (687 days)
6.No Rings- borders the asteroid belt
7.No protective atmosphere
8.Has frozen water
9.Covered in craters
10.No life found on Mars

30. PHOBOS
Phobos ("FOH bus") is the larger and innermost of Mars' two moons. Phobos is
Greek for “fear.”Phobos is closer to its primary than any other moon in the solar
system, less than 6000 km above the surface of Mars. It is also one of the smallest
moons in the solar system.

31. DEIMOS
Deimos ("DEE mos") is the smaller and outermost of Mars' two
moons. It is one of the smallest known moons in the solar system.
In Greek mythology, Deimos is one of the sons of Ares (Mars) and
Aphrodite (Venus); "deimos" is Greek for "panic".

32. MARS
USED WITH PERMISSION OF V.MORRIS,
PHILLIPS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Mars (Greek: Ares) is the god of War. The planet probably got this
name due to its red color; Mars is sometimes referred to as the Red
Planet. (An interesting side note: the Roman god Mars was a god of
agriculture before becoming associated with the Greek Ares; those in
favor of colonizing and terraforming Mars may prefer this symbolism.)
The name of the month March derives from Mars.
http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html

33. MARS—HOME TO THE LARGEST VOLCANO IN THE
SOLAR SYSTEM
Olympus Mons is the largest volcano
on Mars. This shield volcano, similar
to volcanoes in Hawaii, measures 624
km (374 mi) in diameter by 25 km (16
mi) high. It is 100 times larger than
Mauna Loa on Earth. Located on the
Tharsis Plateau near the equator,
Olympus Mons is bordered by an
escarpment. The caldera in the center
is 80 km (50 mi) wide and contains
multiple circular, overlapping collapse
craters created by different volcanic
events. The radial features on the
slopes of the volcano were formed by
overflowing lava and debris.

39. QUIZ INNER PLANETS
1. Earth’s twin______________
2. Looks like our moon______________
3. Red Planet_____________________
4. Water in all 3 states________________
5. 1 moon, Luna__________________
6. Hottest planet_____________________
7. 2 moons, Phobos and Diemos_________________
8. Closest to the Sun__________________
9. Largest volcano in the solar system_______________
10. Massive greenhouse effect___________________
11. Only planet to sustain life____________________
12. Smallest planet__________________
1.13. Greatest temperature difference, hot and
cold________________
14. Revolution is 365 days___________________
15. Fastest revolution around the sun___________________

40. The Outer Planets
The Gas Giants

41. THE OUTER
PLANETS:
THE GAS
GIANTS
1.Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune
2. All large planets
3.All are made of gas. They are not solids like the inner
planets.
4.All have rings. Some are barely visible unlike Saturn’s
rings.
5.High Mass planets
6.Most moons
7.More mass = more moons

42. DISTANCES OF THE OUTER PLANETS FROM THE
SUN IN ASTRONOMICAL UNITS
(150 MILLION KM = 1 AU)
Jupiter 5.203 AU
Saturn 9.539 AU
Uranus 19.18 AU
Neptune 30.06 AU
Pluto 39 AU

43. JUPITER- HIGH MASS
1.The largest planet in our solar system (318 times as large as
Earth)
2.Borders the asteroid belt.
3.483 million miles from the Sun
4.Made mainly of hydrogen & helium
5.Cold planet
6.Great Red Spot (1.5X the size of the Earth) is a storm system
similar to a hurricane that is > 400 yrs old.
7.Stormiest planet
8.Rotation = 9 hrs, 54 min
9.Revolution = 11 yrs, 313 days
10.Has 95 moons
11.Faint rings
12.4
th
brightest object in the sky

44. JUPITER’S RINGS
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/callisto/p48188.html
Unlike Saturn's, Jupiter's rings are dark. They're probably composed of very small
grains of rocky material. Unlike Saturn's rings, they seem to contain no ice.
http://www.nineplanets.org/
jupiter.html

45. JUPITER: HTTP://WWW.NINEPLANETS.ORG/JUPITER.HTML
Jupiter (a.k.a. Jove; Greek Zeus) was the King of the Gods, the ruler of
Olympus and the patron of the Roman state. Zeus was the son of Cronus
(Saturn).
Jupiter is the fourth brightest object in the sky (after the Sun, the Moon and
Venus). It has been known since prehistoric times as a bright "wandering star".
But in 1610 when Galileo first pointed a telescope at the sky he discovered
Jupiter's four large moons Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto and recorded their
motions back and forth around Jupiter.

46. SATURN- HIGH MASS
1.2
nd
largest planet in the solar system (95 X larger than Earth)
2.Composed mainly of hydrogen & helium w/a small rocky core
3.Methane, ammonia, & ethane are in upper atmosphere
4.Least dense planet
5.Saturn’s rings are the largest of the gas giants.
7.Made of icy particles
8.Revolution- 29 ½ years! Rotation: 10 hrs, 42 min
9.Saturn’s rings are 273588.48 km in diameter and about 9
meters thick.
10.Moon Titan is second largest in the solar system
11.146 moons

47. SATURN
In Roman mythology, Saturn is the god of agriculture. The associated Greek
god, Cronus, was the son of Uranus and Gaia and the father of Zeus (Jupiter).
Saturn is the root of the English word "Saturday“.

48. SATURN’S RINGS
http://www.nineplanets.org/saturn.htm
l
Saturn’s rings are 250,000 km or
more in diameter & they're less
than only a few km thick .

49. URANUS- HIGH MASS
1.Super cold
2.28 moons; 11 rings
3.Revolution: 83 yrs, 273 days
4.Rotation: 17 hrs, 12 min
5.3
rd
largest planet
6.Rotates on its side---planet was probably knocked on its side
after a collision w/an asteroid
7.Made of hydrogen & methane—2 gases that absorb red
light, giving Uranus its distinct blue/green color
8.2867 million km from the Sun

50. URANUS
Uranus is the ancient Greek deity of the Heavens, the earliest
supreme god. Uranus was the son and mate of Gaia the father of
Cronus (Saturn) and of the Cyclopes and Titans (predecessors of the
Olympian gods).
Uranus, the first planet discovered in modern times, was discovered by
William Herschel while systematically searching the sky with his
telescope on March 13, 1781.

51. URANUS’ RINGS

52. NEPTUNE: BIG BLUE WORLD-
HIGH MASS
1.13 moons
2.Rotation: 16 hrs, 6 min.
3.Revolution: 165 yrs,
4.Has dark rings and a great Dark Spot, like Jupiter
5.Neptune & Pluto’s orbits overlap causing Neptune to
sometimes orbit beyond Pluto
6.Gets its blue color from being made of methane gas that
absorbs red light, making Neptune appear blue
7.Called the Big Blue World

53. NEPTUNE
In Roman mythology Neptune (Greek: Poseidon) was the god of the Sea.
The Great Dark Spot
http://www.nineplanets.org/neptune.html

54. NEPTUNE’S DARK RINGS

55. OUTER PLANETS QUIZ- WRITE THE LETTER ONLY!!!!
A. Jupiter B. Saturn C. Uranus D. Neptune
______1. Least dense planet
______2. Rotates on its side
______3. Largest planet
______4. Sometimes orbits farther than Pluto
______5. Most visible rings
______6. Big Blue World
______7. Great Red Spot
______8. Has a Dark Spot
______9. Rings made of icy particles
______10. 4
th
brightest object in the sky

56. A. JUPITER B. SATURN C. URANUS D. NEPTUNE
1. Borders the Asteroid Belt
2. Most visible rings
3. Big Blue World
4. All 4 outer planets have rings- True or False
5. Great Red Spot
6. Has a Dark Spot
7. Rings made of icy particles
8. Moon, Io, has an active volcano
9. Least dense planet
10. Rotates on its side
11. Largest planet
12. Sometimes orbits farther than Pluto
13. Protects Earth from asteroids

57. PLUTO
No longer considered a planet.
Now called a dwarf planet
A probe was sent Pluto in 2006 and arrived in 2015.

58. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/pluto_image.html
In Roman mythology, Pluto (Greek: Hades) is the god of the underworld.
Pluto was discovered in 1930 by a fortunate accident. Calculations which later turned out to be
in error had predicted a planet beyond Neptune, based on the motions of Uranus and Neptune.
Not knowing of the error, Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Arizona did a very
careful sky survey which turned up Pluto anyway.

59. F.KUPIER BELT (PRONOUNCED KEW P A)
1.A region in space beyond Neptune where @ least 70,000 small, icy,
slow-moving objects orbit the sun
2.A region where the planet-building process stopped before any large
objects where formed
3.Pluto & is moon Charon (pronounced Sharon) are thought to be large
members of it
4.Short-lived comets like Haley’s comet are also thought to come from the
Kupier Belt
5.Discovered in 1992 by Dutch-American astronomer Gerard P. Kupier

60. USED WITH PERMISSION OF V.MORRIS,
PHILLIPS PREPARATORY SCHOOL

61. G.PLUTO: THE DWARF PLANET THAT ROTATES ON ITS SIDE
1.No longer a planet Now called
a “dwarf planet”—reclassified
in 8/2006
2.Has 3 moons—Charon, Nix, &
Hydra
3.Rotation: 6 days, 10 hrs
4.Revolution: 248 yrs, 4 days
5.Temperature: -225°C
6.Covered by frozen nitrogen
7.Made of rock & ice
8.Less than ½ the size of Mercury
9.Was be visited in 2015
http://www.nineplanets.org/pluto.html

62. PLUTO’S LARGEST MOON CHARON (WHICH IS MORE THAN ½
THE SIZE OF PLUTO)
Charon is named for the mythological figure who ferried the dead across the
River Acheron into Hades (the underworld).
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/science/
everything_pluto/5_looks.php?
selectedImage=image07.php
http://www.nineplanets.org/pluto.html
(Though officially named for the mythological figure, Charon's
discoverer was also naming it in honor of his wife, Charlene.
Thus, those in the know pronounce it with the first syllable
sounding like 'shard' ("SHAHR en").