Space

By Thomas McLaughlin

The Solar System

• The solar system in which we l ive in is made of one star (the Sun) and 8 planets.

• In the center of our solar system is the Sun, which is the biggest mass in our solar system, even bigger than Jupiter.

• Our solar system is in the Milky Way Galaxy.

The Inner Planets Inner Planets

• There are four inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.

• The asteroid belt is what separates the inner planets from the outer planets.

• These planets are closest to the sun.• In order they go, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and

Mars.

The Outer Planets

• The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

• They are on the outside of the asteroid belt.• They are much bigger than the inner planets.• There are four of them, like the inner planets.• All of them are considered “gas giants”.• They are all mostly made of hydrogen and

helium.

Earth’s Surface

• Earth’s surface is about 70% water and 30% land.

• The surface of earth is made of rock.• We live on the crust of earth.• The crust in which we live on is broken into

tectonic plates.• There are volcanoes and mountains on

earth’s surface.

Earth’s Surface

• All of the continents were one about 250 million years ago.

• This was called the Pangaea. • The tectonic plates below us move about 4-5

centimeters average a year.• This is the average because scientists do not

know the actually amount because the estimate is between 1 and 10 centimeters.

Mars’ Surface

• Mars’ surface is basically a dry, barren wasteland with old volcanoes and impact craters.

• The entire surface can be scoured by one sandstorm!

• One sandstorm can make Mars be out of view for a few days.

• There are many rocks on Mars’ surface.

Mars’ Surface

• Mars’ total surface area is abut 28% of Earth’s surface area.

• That’s nearly the same as all of Earth’s dry land.

• Iron oxide is what makes Mars the “Red Planet”.

• Mars’ surface is better understood by scientists than anything else in our solar system other than Earth.

Curiosity

• Curiosity is HUGE!• It is 9”10 long and 9”1 wide!• It is taller than the average man, measuring at

about 7 feet high.• Inside of this complex machine is a miniature

laboratory.• Curiosity is about the size of a car.

Similarities of Earth and Mars

• Earth and Mars have many similarities.• One similarity is the degrees of their tilt.• Mars’ is 25.19 and Earth’s is 23.5.• Another similarity is the day-length.• A day on Mars lasts about 1.03 Earth days.• Earth and Mars are both very rocky planets.• They both have at least one moon.

Differences of Earth and Mars

• Although Earth and Mars have many similarities, they also have many differences.

• Temperature: Mars’ temperature rarely gets above 0 degrees Celsius. Earth’s temperature can get much higher than 0 degrees Celsius!

• Atmosphere: Mars’ atmosphere is less than 1% thickness of Earth’s atmosphere.

Things I Learned

• There were a lot of new things I learned.• One new thing I learned is that Earth and Mars

have similar tilts and day-lengths.• I also learned that Mars’ temperature rarely

gets above 0 degrees Celsius and that Mars’ atmosphere is less than 1% thickness of Earth’s atmosphere.

• That is my projects. I hoped you liked it.