Dec 24, 2015
The Inner PlanetsThe Inner Planets Have no ringsHave no rings Only 0-2 moons Only 0-2 moons
eacheach Prograde rotationPrograde rotation: :
looking down from looking down from the top of the the top of the planet, it moves planet, it moves counterclockwise, counterclockwise, from left to rightfrom left to right
Retrograde rotationRetrograde rotation: : moves clockwise, moves clockwise, from right to leftfrom right to left
The Inner PlanetsThe Inner Planets
Planets made of Planets made of solid rocksolid rock
Have impact cratersHave impact craters
Surface of Mars
Mercury
MercuryMercury
Closest to the sunClosest to the sun Sun’s light obscures it from viewSun’s light obscures it from view
MercuryMercury
Shortest Revolution: 88 daysShortest Revolution: 88 days Takes 59 days to spin once (rotate)Takes 59 days to spin once (rotate) Has no moonsHas no moons
MercuryMercury
Very thin Very thin atmosphereatmosphere So close to sunSo close to sun Very weak gravityVery weak gravity
Is heavily crateredIs heavily cratered Huge temperature Huge temperature
rangerange 427°C during day427°C during day -173°C at night-173°C at night
VenusVenus
Second planetSecond planet 225-day orbit225-day orbit Rotates slowly: Rotates slowly:
243 days to spin 243 days to spin onceonce
RetrogradeRetrograde Has no moonsHas no moons
VenusVenus
The earth’s twinThe earth’s twin Almost same mass, size, and densityAlmost same mass, size, and density
VenusVenus
Very hotVery hot Close to the sunClose to the sun Very thick Very thick
atmosphere, 96% atmosphere, 96% Carbon DioxideCarbon Dioxide
EarthEarth
Third planetThird planet 365.24 days to 365.24 days to
make one make one revolution (orbit)revolution (orbit)
One rotation; 23 One rotation; 23 hours and 56 hours and 56 minuteminute
Volcanically activeVolcanically active Has 1 moonHas 1 moon
EarthEarth
Life existsLife exists Water presentWater present Ideal temperatureIdeal temperature Oxygen and COOxygen and CO22
MarsMars
Fourth planetFourth planet 687 days to orbit687 days to orbit One rotation: 24 One rotation: 24
hours, 37 minuteshours, 37 minutes Same tilt as Earth’s Same tilt as Earth’s
axisaxis
MarsMars
Volcanically activeVolcanically active Largest volcano in Largest volcano in
solar system- solar system- Olympus MonsOlympus Mons
Has two moonsHas two moons
MarsMars
Currently frozen Currently frozen water is at poles water is at poles and liquid may be and liquid may be under the surfaceunder the surface
No solid evidence No solid evidence of life on Marsof life on Mars
Asteroid BeltAsteroid Belt
Rocks left over Rocks left over from the formation from the formation of the solar systemof the solar system
Located between Located between Mars and JupiterMars and Jupiter
50,000-1,000,000’s 50,000-1,000,000’s asteroids existasteroids exist
The Jovian PlanetsThe Jovian Planets
Also known as the Also known as the Gas Gas GiantsGiants
Large and MassiveLarge and Massive Less denseLess dense than the than the
inner planetsinner planets Atmospheres of mostly Atmospheres of mostly
hydrogen and helium hydrogen and helium gasgas
Probably have a solid Probably have a solid corecore
JupiterJupiter Largest planet in Largest planet in
the solar systemthe solar system Twice the mass of Twice the mass of
all other planets all other planets combinedcombined
Extremely hot in Extremely hot in the interiorthe interior
If Jupiter had been If Jupiter had been larger, it could larger, it could have become a starhave become a star
JupiterJupiter
Revolution= 12 Revolution= 12 yearsyears
Fastest rotation in Fastest rotation in the solar system= the solar system= 9 hrs, 50 min9 hrs, 50 min
Jupiter
Venus
JupiterJupiter
Has at least 17 Has at least 17 moons and 4 ringsmoons and 4 rings
The Great Red The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a Spot on Jupiter is a giant stormgiant storm
SaturnSaturn
Fast rotation=10 hours, 30 minutesFast rotation=10 hours, 30 minutes Revolution= 29.5 yearsRevolution= 29.5 years
SaturnSaturn
At least 18 moons,At least 18 moons, several complex several complex ringsrings
Saturn is the least Saturn is the least dense planet, less dense planet, less dense than waterdense than water
UranusUranus
Orbit period= 84 Orbit period= 84 yrsyrs
Rotates once every Rotates once every 17 hours17 hours
Rotates like a Rotates like a rolling ballrolling ball
UranusUranus
At least 20 moons At least 20 moons and 11 small ringsand 11 small rings
Greenish color Greenish color indicates methane indicates methane gasgas
NeptuneNeptune
Orbit period = 164 Orbit period = 164 yrsyrs
Rotates every 16 Rotates every 16 hrshrs
Bluish colorBluish color, , named after the named after the Roman god of the Roman god of the seasea
NeptuneNeptune Has Has eight moons and maybe four ringseight moons and maybe four rings The Great Dark Spot is a giant stormThe Great Dark Spot is a giant storm
Kuiper BeltKuiper Belt
The The Kuiper beltKuiper belt is a disk-shaped is a disk-shaped region past the orbit of region past the orbit of NeptuneNeptune containing many small icy bodies. It containing many small icy bodies. It is now considered to be the source is now considered to be the source of the short-period of the short-period cometscomets..
Oort CloudOort Cloud
The outermost part The outermost part of our solar systemof our solar system
The origin of most The origin of most cometscomets
PlutoPluto Smallest planet in the solar systemSmallest planet in the solar system 1 rotation= 6 days1 rotation= 6 days
PlutoPluto
250 year revolution250 year revolution Pluto’s orbit is ellipticalPluto’s orbit is elliptical Sometimes closer to the sun than Sometimes closer to the sun than
NeptuneNeptune
PlutoPluto
Pluto has one Pluto has one moon, half its sizemoon, half its size
Pluto is the largest Pluto is the largest object in the object in the Kuiper BeltKuiper Belt
Formation of the Solar SystemFormation of the Solar System
Pluto may not be a planet at all, but just a large Pluto may not be a planet at all, but just a large object in the object in the Kuiper belt that surrounds our Kuiper belt that surrounds our solar systemsolar system
Formation of the Solar Formation of the Solar SystemSystem
The Kuiper belt, The Kuiper belt, discovered in discovered in 1992, is made of 1992, is made of cold, icy cold, icy planetesimals that planetesimals that never collided with never collided with each other to form each other to form a planeta planet
Pluto is the largest Pluto is the largest object in the object in the Kuiper BeltKuiper Belt