OUR SOLAR SYSTEMLESSONS 4-6

Lesson 4

Lesson 4

Planet or a Dwarf planet?

What’s the difference you say…

A planet-orbits around the sun-has enough mass to be basically a round shape-is not a satellite or moon of another object-has enough gravity to clear away smaller objects near its orbit

A dwarf planet-orbits around the sun (SAME)-has sufficient mass to assume a nearly round shape (SAME)-is not a satellite or moon of another object (SAME)-does not have enough gravity to clear away smaller objects near its orbit (DIFFERENT)

Inner Planet Basics:

Rock planets (Terrestrial)Few (or even no) moonsClose to the SunNo rings around the planets“Smaller” in size

Outer Planet Basics:

Gas planets (Jovian)Lots of moonsFAR from the SunHave ringsBig planets

The Asteroid Belt

Basically it separates the inner and out planets from each other and there are about one million objects (asteroids) that make up the belt.

->If you added up (if it was even possible) the mass of all of the objects in the asteroid belt, they would even equal the mass of our moon.

An asteroid may be classified as rocky, metallic, or a combination of both.

Asteroids are not crowded together like they show in movies, a space probe could fly for years through the asteroid belt without colliding with an asteroid.

Planet Jupiter’s gravitational pull can actually pull an asteroid out of the belt, sending it floating in space… they think an asteroid is what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Comets A comet has a solid rocky core (center or nucleus) and is made of frozen gases on the surface.

Comets travel around the sun and when they travel close (they pass it), the frozen gases on the surface start to melt (from the hot temperatures of the sun), and we see (as a result of the solar wind blowing these melting gases) what appears to be a tail (which always points away

from the sun, since the solar wind it blowing from the sun).

MeteorsThey are just a streak of light that is formed when pieces of space debris (flying stuff / tiny pieces of rock), called meteoroids, burn

up in Earth's atmosphere.

What we think of as shooting stars.

When a meteor hits our atmosphere they rub together, when they do this causes friction. The friction causes the meteor to start to

burn up and what we see is the light.

Once a meteor hits Earth's surface, it is called a meteorite. An impact crater forms when one object in space collides with another object.

VOCABULARY ALERT!

Kuiper Belt: An area beyond Neptune of debris (stuff left over) from the formation of the solar system.

WHAT TO DO:

WHAT TO DO:

- Answer all questions and at the bottom check the box, and finally click “submit”.

WHAT TO DO:

Lesson 5

Lesson 5

What are the main ways the movements of the sun, moon, and Earth affect our planet?

Model of the Sun and Earth (models allow us to look at things that are normally too big or too small to view otherwise).

Earth revolves around the sun in an elliptical (egg-shaped) orbit, at a speed of 29.79 km/sec (107,244 km/h), and an average distance of 150 million km.

Earth and most other planets orbit the sun in a disk-shaped region known as the ecliptic plane.

Model of the Sun and Earth (models allow us to look at things that are normally too big or too small to view otherwise).

Aphelion is what the Earth is the farthest from the Sun in its orbit.

Model of the Sun and Earth (models allow us to look at things that are normally too big or too small to view otherwise).

Perihelion is when the Earth is the closest to the Sun in its orbit.

Just like the Earth traveling around the sun, so does the moon around the Earth.

1. It travels in an elliptical (egg-shaped) orbit.2. It is tilted (5 degree angle) as it orbits3. It has a apogee (farthest distance from Earth) and perigee (closest

distance to the Earth) in its orbit

MOON - EARTH

During apogee: The moon appears normal or smaller.

During Perigee: The moon appears much larger than normal.

MOON - EARTH

Characteristics of the Moon**Please complete the interactive on the Discover pg. 1 “Moon’s Physical Characteristics” tab.

Earth is tilted either toward or away from the sun for almost half of the year.

When any potion of Earth is tilted toward the sun, the angle of solar radiation that strikes Earth’s surface is greater—there is less atmosphere for the sun’s radiation to travel through before it reaches Earth’s surface, and we see the sun rise higher in the sky. Hence, the tilt of Earth’s rotational axis is the reason Earth experiences

seasonal changes.

Northern hemisphere – summer (tilted toward the Sun – warmer)

Southern hemisphere – winter (tilted away from the Sun – colder)

Northern hemisphere – winter (tilted away from the Sun – colder)

Southern hemisphere – summer (tilted toward the Sun – warmer)

When the Southern Hemisphere begins to tilt toward the sun, and the seasons move toward spring.

As the Northern Hemisphere begins to tilt away from the sun, seasons progress from summer to autumn.

Florida = Not much of a change throughout the year

New York = BIG change during a yearHot summer / Very cold winter (snow)

Because solar radiation strikes the equator most constantly, seasons there are less pronounced

than at regions farther from the equator.

WHAT TO DO:

WHAT TO DO:

Lesson 6

Lesson 6

When light strikes the surface of an object, the object is illuminated (lite up/bright); if no light strikes the surface, the object is completely dark.

Day time (bright out)

Night time (dark out)

Check out the interactive on the Discover pg. 1, “Solar Eclipse 1” tab

Check out the interactive on the Discover pg. 1, “Solar Eclipse 1” tab

Umbra is the deepest and darkest part of a shadow.

Check out the interactive on the Discover pg. 1, “Solar Eclipse 1” tab

Umbra is the deepest and darkest part of a shadow.

Penumbra forms where sunlight is partially blocked.

Solar Eclipse – the sun is blocked

There are different types of solar eclipses that we can see.

Total eclipse of the Sun

Partial eclipse of the Sun

Annular eclipse of the Sun

The Moon

At night we can see different shapes of the moon. This is called: moon phases.

What we are seeing is shadows that are cast on the moon.

All of the moons “phases” have names.According to:

1. The part of the moon a person can see2. Whether the moon is waxing ("growing") or waning ("shrinking") compared to the observer.

**Please use the interactive on the Discover pg. 2, “Moon Phases” tab

Lunar Eclipse The Earth’s shadow covers the moon.

Please do the interactive activity on Discover pg. 2, under the “Lunar eclipse” tab.

WHAT TO DO:

WHAT TO DO: