TestPracticeSolarSystem

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The Solar System

The solar system is made up of our star (the Sun,) the 9 planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, dust and gas. The planets, asteroids, and comets travel around the Sun. The Sun is the center of the solar system. It contains 99.86% of all of the mass in our solar system. Consequently, it exerts a tremendous gravitational pull on planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.

Most of the bodies in the solar system travel around the Sun along elliptical paths or orbits, and all the planets travel about the Sun in the anticlockwise direction (when viewed from above).
Solar system formation began billions of years ago, when gases and dust began to come together to form the Sun, planets, and other bodies of the solar system.

The inner solar system contains the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. These are rocky or terrestrial planets.
The planets of the outer solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. These planets (except Pluto) are made of gas and are much bigger than the inner planets (gas giants.)

The rocky surface of Mercury is heavily cratered, and looks much like the earth's moon. This planet lacks an atmosphere. The surface facing the sungets hot enough to melt lead.

Venus could be Earth's twin in size, mass, and density. But in other ways, Venus is very different from Earth. Its dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide keeps the surface temperature around 480°C both day and night.

As far as we know, Earth is the only planet that supports life. It is a living planet because it has liquid water, oxygen in the atmosphere, and moderate temperatures and pressure. Earth has one satellite, the moon, which orbits the Earth.

Mars, the fourth planet from the sun is much colder than Earth. But at the Martian equator in summer, the temperature can reach 20°C. At one time Mars probably had water onits surface. The planet has two moons.

Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is the asteroid belt. These are small, irregularly shaped solid bodies that move around the sun as the planets do.

Jupiter is a giant, with 300 times more mass than Earth. It is mostly a ball of hydrogen and helium gas. Clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere form colored bands around the planet. Jupiter has at least 16 moons.

Saturn is neaarly as large as Jupiter but has only one third Jupiter's mass. Like Jupiter, it is made up of mostly hydrogen and helium gas. Saturn has a spectacular ring system and 23 or more moons.

Beyond Saturn is Uranus, the third largest planet. It appears greenish because methane gas in its atmosphere. Uranus is unusual because it axis of rotation is nearly parallel to the plane of its orbit. Uranus has 15 moons and a system of rings.

The eighth planet is Neptune. It is a ball of water, ammonia, and molten rock, surrounded by hydrogen, helium, and methane. It has 8 moons and a number of rings.

Pluto, the ninth planet is unlike the other outerplanets. It is even smaller than Mercury in size. Its orbit is very elongated and tilted. Pluto has one moon that is nearly half the sizeof the planet itself.

Meteoroid - chunks of rock or metal smaller than an asteroid.
Meteor- the light that results from the entry of a meteroid into our atmosphere. Most burn up as they enter our atmosphere.
Meteorite - When a meteoroid does not completely burn up while passing into our atmosphere, it is called a meteorite.

COMETS - a chunk of ice, rock fragments, dust and gas particles that orbit the sun in a huge elliptical orbit. When the comet comes close to thesun, solar radiation and solar wind force gases from the comet, causing a streaming tail to form.

Our solar system is part of large group of stars called a galaxy. Our galaxy is the Milky Way.
The universe is made up of billions and billions of galaxies.

B. PLANETS AND OTHER BODIES OF VARYING SIZE,
* COMPOSITION, TEMPERATURE, GRAVITY, AND SURFACE FEATURES
* MOVE AROUND THE SUN IN ELLIPTICAL ORBITS.
    1. Our sun is a star located near the center of our solar system.
    2. Each of the other planets differs from the earth in terms of distance from the sun, atmosphere, gravity, surface features, temperature, heat energy, speed of rotation, length of year, and number of moons.
    3. Comets travel around the sun in highly elliptical orbits. These comets produce a glowing head and a long tail. The tail always points away from the sun.
C. TECHNOLOGY IS APPLIED TO SPACE EXPLORATION
    1. Space program development include unmanned probes, manned probes, manned spacecraft, telescopes, and weather, communications and earth survey satellites which are used by scientists to explore the universe.
    2. Space program developments have provided a variety of products that can be used in daily life such as freezer to oven ceramic dishes, cordless drills, football masks equipped with radios, rechargeable cardiac pacemakers, hang gliders, and food processing methods.

THE STUDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

Interpret a diagram that shows how the positions of the earth, sun, and moon affect the tides, phases of the moon, and/or eclipses.
Compare the physical characteristics of the components of the solar system, and compare the earth to other planets.

Astronomy Links
CosmoBrain
StarChild
Windows to the Universe
The Nine Planets
Welcome to the Planets
Astronomy Picture ofthe Day
Solar System Simulator

	The rocky surface of Mercury is heavily cratered, and looks much like the earth's moon. This planet lacks an atmosphere. The surface facing the sungets hot enough to melt lead.
	Venus could be Earth's twin in size, mass, and density. But in other ways, Venus is very different from Earth. Its dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide keeps the surface temperature around 480°C both day and night.
	As far as we know, Earth is the only planet that supports life. It is a living planet because it has liquid water, oxygen in the atmosphere, and moderate temperatures and pressure. Earth has one satellite, the moon, which orbits the Earth.
	Mars, the fourth planet from the sun is much colder than Earth. But at the Martian equator in summer, the temperature can reach 20°C. At one time Mars probably had water onits surface. The planet has two moons.
	Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is the asteroid belt. These are small, irregularly shaped solid bodies that move around the sun as the planets do.
	Jupiter is a giant, with 300 times more mass than Earth. It is mostly a ball of hydrogen and helium gas. Clouds in Jupiter's atmosphere form colored bands around the planet. Jupiter has at least 16 moons.
	Saturn is neaarly as large as Jupiter but has only one third Jupiter's mass. Like Jupiter, it is made up of mostly hydrogen and helium gas. Saturn has a spectacular ring system and 23 or more moons.
	Beyond Saturn is Uranus, the third largest planet. It appears greenish because methane gas in its atmosphere. Uranus is unusual because it axis of rotation is nearly parallel to the plane of its orbit. Uranus has 15 moons and a system of rings.
	The eighth planet is Neptune. It is a ball of water, ammonia, and molten rock, surrounded by hydrogen, helium, and methane. It has 8 moons and a number of rings.
	Pluto, the ninth planet is unlike the other outerplanets. It is even smaller than Mercury in size. Its orbit is very elongated and tilted. Pluto has one moon that is nearly half the sizeof the planet itself.

Meteoroid - chunks of rock or metal smaller than an asteroid. Meteor- the light that results from the entry of a meteroid into our atmosphere. Most burn up as they enter our atmosphere. Meteorite - When a meteoroid does not completely burn up while passing into our atmosphere, it is called a meteorite.

COMETS - a chunk of ice, rock fragments, dust and gas particles that orbit the sun in a huge elliptical orbit. When the comet comes close to thesun, solar radiation and solar wind force gases from the comet, causing a streaming tail to form.