Planets

Planets

Planet Groups

The Outer Planets

Planets far from the Sun

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

• The Inner Planets– Planets closest to the Sun

• Mercury• Venus• Earth • Mars

Pluto???

Mercury

• Planet closest to the Sun

• Smallest Terrestrial Planet

• Has no moons of its own

• Has extreme temperatures because

• 1) ____________________________

• 2) ________________________

Venus

• Can be seen in the west just after sunset or in the morning sometimes.

• Is also called the “evening or morning star” even though it is not a star.

• Similar to Earth in size and mass and is called the Earth’s twin

• Has the hottest surface of all the planets because of the greenhouse effect

Earth’s Motion through space

• ROTATION– The Earth spinning

around its axis

– Takes 1 day (24 hrs)

– Causes days and nights

• REVOLUTION– The Earth moving

around the Sun

– Takes 1 yr (365 days)

– Causes seasons

Earth’s Motion through space

What causes the seasons?•The tilt of the Earth causes seasons.

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.seasonsgame/

Which of the following diagrams shows the correct seasonal orientation of the Earth as it rotates around the Sun?

Phases of the moon

1. New moon None of the moon is visible

1. Crescent Moon Less than half of the Earth facing side of the moon is visible

2. Quarter Moon Exactly half of the Earth-facing side of the moon is visible

3. Gibbous Moon More than half of the Earth-facing side of the moon is visible

4. Full Moon The entire Earth facing side of the moon is visible. High tides occur during Full Moons

Waxing & Waning

• http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.mphase/

• If the part of the moon that we see from the Earth is INCREASING, we say the moon is WAXING.

• If the part of the moon that we see from the Earth is DECREASING, we say the moon is WANING.

Mars

• Called the “Red planet” due to the iron rich rock (Rusty)

• Mars is quite cold due to – 1) Its thin atmosphere– 2) Its distance from the Sun

Outer Planets – The gas giants

• All the gas giants have thick atmospheres• Outer layers of the gas giants are

extremely cold due to the distance from the Sun

• All the gas giants have moons• They also have RINGS – thin disks of

small particles of ice and rock.

Jupiter and Saturn

• Jupiter• The largest and most

massive planet• Has 4 moons

• Saturn• The 2nd largest planet• Has the most

spectacular rings around it

Uranus , Neptune & Pluto

• Uranus• Looks blue-green in

color because of the methane in the atmosphere

• Neptune• Is a cold, blue planet• Its atmosphere

contains visible clouds.

Pluto – A Dwarf Planet

Because it has not cleared out the neighborhood around its orbit.

Has a solid surface

Is smaller & denser than the outer planets

Answer these questions

• 1) Which planets make up the inner planets?• 2) Which planets make up the outer planets?• 3) Name 4 characteristics of the outer planets?• 4) Give two differences between rotation and

revolution.• 5) Name the different phases of the moon and

write a sentence on each.• 6) What is the order of planets?• 7) Come up with an acronym for YOU to

remember the order of the planets.