Planet Flash CardsPlanet Flash Cards

Get out 13 Index cards or cut Get out 13 Index cards or cut paper into 13 piecespaper into 13 pieces

3 sheets plus one card (share 3 sheets plus one card (share with your table)with your table)

The Order of the PlanetsThe Order of the Planets

►1. Mercury1. Mercury►2. Venus2. Venus►3. Earth3. Earth►4. Mars4. Mars►5. Jupiter5. Jupiter►6. Saturn6. Saturn►7. Uranus7. Uranus►8. Neptune8. Neptune

►1. My1. My►2. Very2. Very►3. Educated3. Educated►4. Mother4. Mother►5. Just5. Just►6. Served6. Served►7. Us7. Us►8. Nachos8. Nachos

Inner Planet (Terrestrial)Inner Planet (Terrestrial)

-Mercury-Mercury

-Venus-Venus

-Earth-Earth

-Mars-Mars

Outer Planet (Gas Giant)Outer Planet (Gas Giant)

► JupiterJupiter►SaturnSaturn►UranusUranus►NeptuneNeptune

Retrograde Rotation Retrograde Rotation (spins backwards)(spins backwards)

►VenusVenus►UranusUranus

Smaller Than EarthSmaller Than Earth

►MercuryMercury►VenusVenus►MarsMars

No MoonsNo Moons

►MercuryMercury►VenusVenus

Has a ring systemHas a ring system

► JupiterJupiter►SaturnSaturn►UranusUranus►NeptuneNeptune

No Solid SurfaceNo Solid Surface

► JupiterJupiter►SaturnSaturn►UranusUranus►NeptuneNeptune

Too far away to see without a Too far away to see without a telescope.telescope.

►UranusUranus►NeptuneNeptune

Mercury:Mercury:

►Closest to the SunClosest to the Sun►Shortest RevolutionShortest Revolution►Smallest planetSmallest planet

Venus:Venus:

►Close in size to EarthClose in size to Earth►““Earth’s Twin”Earth’s Twin”►Hottest Average Temp.Hottest Average Temp.►Very thick atmosphereVery thick atmosphere

Compare the sizes of the Compare the sizes of the Terrestrial Planets:Terrestrial Planets:

Earth:Earth:

►1 moon (Luna)1 moon (Luna)►Has liquid waterHas liquid water►Has the only known Has the only known lifelife

Mars:Mars:

►2 Moons2 Moons►Thin AtmosphereThin Atmosphere►The “Red Planet”The “Red Planet”

JupiterJupiter

►Largest PlanetLargest Planet►Made mostly of H and HeMade mostly of H and He►Most moons (about 64)Most moons (about 64)►Has a red spot (1.5 X the Has a red spot (1.5 X the

diameter of Earth)diameter of Earth)►Radiates more heat than it gets Radiates more heat than it gets

from the Sunfrom the Sun

Compare the sizes of the Gas Compare the sizes of the Gas GiantsGiants

Saturn:Saturn:

►Made mostly of H and HeMade mostly of H and He►Many moons (about 32)Many moons (about 32)►Less dense than waterLess dense than water►Largest ringsLargest rings

Uranus:Uranus:

►Much smaller than Jupiter Much smaller than Jupiter and Saturnand Saturn

►Tilted at a 90 degree Tilted at a 90 degree angleangle

►Has many moons (27)Has many moons (27)

Neptune:Neptune:

►Much smaller than Jupiter Much smaller than Jupiter and Saturnand Saturn

►Many moons (13)Many moons (13)

Compare the size of the SunCompare the size of the Sunto all 8 Planets!to all 8 Planets!

Pluto/dwarf planets:Pluto/dwarf planets:

►Considered a dwarf planetConsidered a dwarf planet►There are over 50 similar objects in There are over 50 similar objects in

the solar system – too many to call the solar system – too many to call them all planetsthem all planets

►Pluto has a moon which is more than Pluto has a moon which is more than half its sizehalf its size

►Orbit is so elliptical that it’s path is Orbit is so elliptical that it’s path is inside Neptune’s for 20 yearsinside Neptune’s for 20 years

AsteroidsAsteroids

►Large rocky bodies that revolve Large rocky bodies that revolve around the sun in an orbit between around the sun in an orbit between Mars and JupiterMars and Jupiter

►Thought to be left over pieces from the Thought to be left over pieces from the early formation of the solar system early formation of the solar system that were not massive enough to form that were not massive enough to form into a planetinto a planet

meteoroidmeteoroid►Small rocks that revolve around the Small rocks that revolve around the

sun in random orbits throughout the sun in random orbits throughout the solar systemsolar system

►MeteorMeteor – rock burning in our – rock burning in our atmosphere “shooting star”atmosphere “shooting star”

►MeteoriteMeteorite – a rock from space that – a rock from space that has hit the Earth’s surfacehas hit the Earth’s surface (a meteor “rite” here on the ground)(a meteor “rite” here on the ground)

cometcomet►Small object made of frozen gas, ice Small object made of frozen gas, ice

and dustand dust

►Has a highly elliptical orbitHas a highly elliptical orbit

►Often called a “dirty snowball”Often called a “dirty snowball”

►Meteor showers happen when we Meteor showers happen when we travel through the debris of a comet’s travel through the debris of a comet’s dirty orbitdirty orbit