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The Solar System Unit Objectives SPI 0607.6.1 Use data to draw conclusions about the major components of the universe.

SPI 0607.6.2 Explain how the relative distance of objects from the earth affects how they appear. By the end of our SOLAR SYSTEM unit, you will be able to... 1. compareanearth-centeredmodelofthesolarsystemwithasun-centeredmodelofthesolar

system.Knowwhichonewebelievetobetruetoday,andwhooriginallyproposedthatmodel.

Inanearth-centeredmodel,theearthisatthecenterofthesolarsystemandalltheplanets,the

sun,andthemoonrevolvearoundtheearth.Inthesun-centeredmodelofthesolarsystem,the

sunisatthecenterofthesolarsystemandtheplanetsrevolvearoundthesun.Webelievethat

thesun-centeredmodeliscorrect.NicholasCopernicusoriginallyproposedthismodel.

2. knowwhatforcekeepstheplanetsorbitingtheSun.

TheSun’sgravitykeepstheplanetsorbitingtheSun.

3. nametheplanetsinorderfromthesun.

Mercury,Venus,Earth,Mars,Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus,Neptune(useamemorytricklike“Myvery

educatedmotherjustservedusnachos)

4. comparethedistanceoftheplanetsfromthesun,usingastronomicalunits.

AUstandsforAstronomicalUnit.Earthis1AUfromtheSun.1AUisequalto93millionmilesor

150millionkilometers.MercuryandVenusarelessthan1AUfromtheSun.Theotherplanets

thatarefartherfromthesunaregreaterthan1AUfromtheSun.

Mercury .38 Venus .72 Earth 1.00 Mars 1.52

Jupiter 5.2 Saturn 9.58 Uranus 19.2 Neptune 30.2

5. compareandcontrasttheinner(terrestrial)planetswiththeouter(gasgiants)planets.

Theinnerplanetsaresmallandrocky.Theouterplanetsarelargeandgaseous.Theouter

planetsalsohaverings.

6. knowwhichplanetisknownasEarth’s“sister”planetandwhy.

VenusisknownasEarth’s“sister”planetbecausetheyaresimilarinsizeandmass.

7. knowwhatgivesMarsitsreddishcolor.

IronoxideinthesoilgivesMarsitsreddishcolor.

8. knowwhichplanetcontainstheGreatRedSpotandIknowwhattheGreatRedSpotis.

JupiterhastheGreatRedSpot,whichisalargestorm.

9. knowwhichplanethasthelowestdensity.

Saturnhasthelowestdensity.

10. namethelargestmooninourSolarSystemandidentifytheplanetitorbits.

GanymedeisthelargestmooninourSolarSystem.ItorbitsJupiter.

11. explainwhyPlutowasdemotedfromplanettodwarfplanet.

Plutodoesn’tfittheInternationalAstronomicalUnion’snewdefinitionofplanet.WhileitISa

sphereanditDOESorbitthesun,ithasnot“cleareditsneighborhood”ofotherobjects,which

meansthereareotherobjectsthroughoutitsorbitaroundthesun.

12. knowwhichplanetcontainsthelargestknownvolcano(OlympusMons)inoursolarsystem.

Marscontainsthelargestknownvolcanoinoursolarsystem.

13. knowwhatacometisandcannamethepartsofacomet.Describehowcometschangeasthey

approachtheSun.

Acometisaballoffrozenwater,methaneandammoniamixedwithdirt,dustandrocks.The

frozencoreiscalledthenucleus,thecomaisthecloudofdustaroundthenucleus,andagasand

dusttailextendsoffthenucleus.Thetailisalwayspointedawayfromthesun.Asthecomet

approachesthesun,thetailchangesposition.Aftermanyvisitsaroundthesunallthefrozen

materialvaporizesandallthatisleftaretherocks.Thesethenarespreadoutthroughoutthe

orbitoftheoriginalcometandbecomemeteoroids.

14. explainthedifferencebetweenameteoroid,meteorandmeteorite.

Ameteoroidisasmallspacerockthatwasoncepartofacomet.Ameteorisameteoroidthat

entersearth’satmosphereandcompletelyburnsup(oftencalleda“shootingstar”).Ameteorite

isameteoroidthatmakesitthroughearth’satmosphereandhitstheearth.

15. knowwhatanasteroidis,wheretheasteroidbeltislocatedandthetheorysurroundinghowit

wasformed.

Anasteroidisalargespacerock,mostlikelymadeofthesamematerialthatformedintothe

planets.TheasteroidbeltislocatedbetweenMarsandJupiter.Theasteroidbeltprobably

formedbecauseJupiter’sstronggravitationalpullpreventedthoselargepiecesofrockfrom

comingtogethertoformaplanet.

Important Vocabulary solar system – our sun and all the other objects that orbit the sun (8 planets, moons, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids, etc) gravity – a natural phenomenon by which all things with energy are brought toward (or gravitate toward) one another, including stars, planets, galaxies and even light and sub-atomic particles. A.U. (astronomical units) – a unit of length, roughly the distance from Earth to the Sun inner planet – the 4 small rocky planets closest to the sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) outer planet – the 4 large gaseous planets beyond the asteroid belt (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) comet – space object made of dust and rock particles mixed with frozen water, methane and ammonia that forms a bright coma as it approaches the sun meteoroid – small pieces of dust and rock left over from comets meteor – a meteoroid that burns up in Earth’s atmosphere meteorite – a meteoroid that does not burn up in Earth’s atmosphere and hits Earth asteroid – a piece of rock made up of material similar to the material that formed the planets asteroid belt – the space between Mars and Jupiter where most of the asteroids are found

Important Sections from your Textbook Chapter 7 (pages 194-227)