Planets, Moons and Stars

Our solar system is the system of planets and other objects that orbit our sun. There are eight planetsplanets and many moonsmoons. Along with asteroidsasteroids, cometscomets, meteoroidsmeteoroids and tiny particles of rocks and dust. The sunsun, which is actually a starstar, is the largest object in the solar system and holds everything in place by its gravitygravity. It contains about 99% of the mass of the solar system.

A planet is a body that is in orbit around the Sun, has enough mass for its self-gravity to overcome forces (nearly round) shape, and clears the neighborhood around its orbit. Planet order (closest to the

sun to furthest):MERCURYVENUSEARTHMARSJUPITORSATURNURANUSNEPTUNE

Position: Closest planet to the Sun. Atmosphere: Like Earth’s moon, very little. Landscape: Many craters, a little ice. Cliffs and

valleys present. Temperatures: Super-heated by the sun in the

day. At night temperatures reach hundreds of degrees below freezing. (Not as warm as you would think).

Year (Full rotation around the sun): 88 days. Moons: 0 Rings: 0

Position: 2nd planet from the sun.

Atmosphere: Thick enough to trap heat, hurricane winds, lightning, and acid clouds.

Landscape: Volcanoes and deformed mountains.

Temperatures: Intense heat. Year (Full rotation around the

sun): 225 Earth days. Moons: 0 Rings: 0

Position: 3rd planet from the sun. Atmosphere: Suitable air

pressure to have life. Air is made of oxygen.

Landscape: The only planet that has liquid on the surface, rocky, land formations.

Temperatures: Suitable for life. Ranges from locations on Earth.

Year (Full rotation around the sun): 365 Earth days.

Moons: 1 Rings: 0

Position: 4th planet from the sun.

Atmosphere: Thinner air than Earth.

Landscape: Frozen water below the surface, rocky, dusty, and has craters.

Temperatures: Like Earth, but drier and colder

Year (Full rotation around the sun): 687 Earth days.

Moons: 2 Rings: 0

Midnight Midnight sun on sun on MarsMars

Position: 5th planet from the sun.

Atmosphere: Colorful clouds, until it is squished unto liquid. Cold and windy, giant storms.

Landscape: Thick super hot soup.

Temperatures: Extremely cold at clouds. Extremely hot and cold radiation.

Year (Full rotation around the sun): 12 Earth years.

Moons: 62 Rings: 3

Position: 7th planet from the sun. Atmosphere: Composed mostly of

gas with no solid surface. Cloud strips.

Landscape: No solid surfaces, high pressures turn gas into liquids.

Temperatures: Rings made out of water ice, really cold.

Year (Full rotation around the sun): 30 Earth years.

Moons: 61 Rings: 7 division ring system

Position: 7th planet from the sun.

Atmosphere: Gets thicker and thicker, until it is squished unto liquid. Cold and windy.

Landscape: Layer of superheated water and gases that form bright clouds.

Temperatures: Extremely cold at cloud tops and superheated towards the center.

Year (Full rotation around the sun): 84 Earth years.

Moons: 27 Rings: 11

Position: Furthest from the sun (Cannot see without a microscope). 8th planet.

Atmosphere: Very Windy, cold clouds, a layer of methane gas (giving it a blue color), storms as large Earth.

Landscape: Scientist think it may have an ocean of super hot lava.

Temperatures: Cold Year (Full rotation around the sun): 165

Earth years. Moons: 13 Rings: 6

Pluto is NOT considered a planet anymore!

It is classified as a dwarf planet.

Temperatures: Extremely cold, covered with frost.

Year (Full rotation around the sun): 248 Earth years.

Moons: 3 Pluto is very hard to

see, if with a really powerful microscope.

Think of Pluto as Think of Pluto as Disney’s dog, NOT a Disney’s dog, NOT a planet!planet!

The sun is a star. A ball of hot glowing gases. It gets hotter as you go

deeper. Central force that has a high

influence on planets orbits. Without the sun’s energy

and heat there would be no life on Earth.

Educational information is provided from the following

sources: Ambrose, Elisabeth. “Misson to Mars: Project Based

Learning.” University of Texas. Web. 18 October 2009. “An Overview of the Universe.” Student WebPages and

Assignments: GWIT.org. Web. 17 October 2009. Harvey, Samantha. “Solar System Exploration.” NASA. 18

October 2009. Web. 19 October 2009. Mena-Werth, Jane and Jose. “Astronomy Activities.”

University of Nebraska. Web. 17 October 2009. Harvey, Samantha. “Solar System Exploration.” NASA. 18

October 2009. Web. 19 October 2009. “Solar System.” Instructors Web. 2002-2009. Web. 18

October 2009. “Space.” New Scientist. 18 October 2009. Web. 18

October 2009. Whitlock, Laura A. “The Solar System.” Starchild. Web. 17

October 2009.

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