The Sun is our closest star. Is a member of the Milky Way galaxy.Is a medium size star and it’s a class G2.It is believed to be about 4.6 billion years old.(The age of an average star is about 5 billion years old.).The diameter of the Sun is 1,392,000 kilometers.Temperature ranges from 5800 degrees Celsius (C) to over 15,600,000 degrees C its core.

The Sun

In the Sun's core, hydrogen is fused to form helium in a process called fusion.

The sun is composed of gas: 75% hydrogen, 25% helium, and 0.1% metals.

The Sun

On the Sun's surface, we can see storms.

We call these storms "sunspots" because they look like dark spots on the Sun's surface.

The Sun also produces big explosions of energy called solar flares. These flares shoot fast moving particles off the Sun's surface.

These particles can hit the Earth's atmosphere and cause a glow called an aurora.

The Sun

Some people from long ago thought of the Sun as a god.

They did not want the god to be angry with them.

To keep the Sun happy, they offered it gifts such as gold and food.

The Sun

Neptune

Jupiter

Uranus

Mars

Mercury

Earth

Saturn

Venus

The Eight Planets

•1st planet from the sun

•3.2 Light minutes from

the sun.

• Has a diameter of 4,879 km

•Solid planet – composed

of iron and silica.

Mercury – Closest to the

Sun

• No satellites / no rings.

•Temperature ranges from –173 degrees C to

15,600,000 degrees C.

•Very thin atmosphere.

•Origin of Name: Mercury, the god of thievery.

•Fact: The temperature on Mercury gets so hot it

could melt a tin pan.

Mercury

Venus- Earth’s Twin

•2nd planet from the sun

•6.0 Light minutes from the

sun.

• Has a diameter of 12,104 km

•Solid planet – basically the

same as Earth.

Venus• No satellites / no rings.

•Temperature is 464 degrees C.

•Atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide.

•Origin of Name: Venus, the goddess of love.

•Fact: Venus is called the Evening Star. It is called

this because it looks so bright to us from

Earth.

Earth- The Water Planet

•3rd planet from the sun

•8.3 Light minutes from the sun.

• Has a diameter of 12,756 km

• Solid planet – iron, oxygen,

silicon, and magnesium.

Earth• 1 satellite / No rings.

•Temperature ranges from –13 degrees C to 37 degrees C.

•Atmosphere is 77% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.

•Origin of Name: Earth, Old English.

•Fact: Seventy percent of the Earth's surface is

covered by water. The remaining 30 percent

is covered by mountains, volcanoes, deserts, plains,

and valleys.

Mars- The Red Planet

• 4th planet from the sun

• 12.7 Light minutes from

the sun.

• Has a diameter of 6,794 km

• Solid planet –

sulfur and iron

Mars• 2 satellites / No rings.

•Temperature ranges from –123 degrees C to 37 degrees C.

•Atmosphere is 95.3% carbon dioxide and 27% nitrogen.

•Origin of Name: Mars, god of war.

•Fact: Some of the meteorites found on Earth are actually

pieces of the planet Mars. As of June 2006, thirty-four

"Martian meteorites" have been found.

Jupiter- The Largest

Planet• 5th planet from the sun

• 43.3 Light minutes from

the sun.

• Has a diameter of

142,984 km

• Gas planet –

hydrogen, helium, and

ammonia

Jupiter• 16 satellites / 3 rings.

•Temperature is -153 degrees C.

•Atmosphere is 90% hydrogen and 10% helium.

•Origin of Name: Jupiter, King of Gods.

•Fact: Jupiter is so large that all of the other planets in the

solar system could fit inside of it.

Click here to learn more about Saturn.

Saturn- The Ringed

Planet• 6th planet from the sun

• 1.3 Light hours from

the sun.

• Has a diameter of

120,536 km

• Gas planet –

Saturn• 18 satellites / 14 rings.

•Temperature is -185 degrees C.

•Atmosphere is 75% hydrogen and 25% helium.

•Origin of Name: Saturn, Roman god of agriculture.

•Fact: Saturn has the lowest density of any planet in our

solar system. Its density is so low that it would float if

it was placed in water.

Click here to learn more about

Uranus.

Uranus- Neptune’s Twin

• 7th planet from the

sun

• 2.7 Light hours from

the sun.

• Has a diameter of

51,118 km

• Gas planet –

Uranus• 21 satellites / 11 rings.

•Temperature is -214 degrees C.

•Atmosphere is 83% hydrogen, 15% helium, and

2% methane.

•Origin of Name: Uranus, Greek god of the heavens.

•Fact: Uranus is one of the smaller gas giants in our solar

system, but it is still large enough to hold 64 planets

the size of Earth.

Click here to learn more about Neptune.

Neptune –The Blue Planet

• 8th planet from the

sun

• 4.2 Light hours from

the sun.

• Has a diameter of

49,528 km

• Gas planet –

Neptune• 8 satellites / 4 rings.

•Temperature is -225 degrees C.

•Atmosphere is 15% hydrogen, helium and

methane.

•Origin of Name: Neptune, Roman god of the sea.

•Fact: It is so cold on Neptune that you would

need skin thicker than a polar bear's to stay

warm.

Moon• A moon is a

natural satellite of a planet.

• The Earth’s moon is called Luna.

• Earth has only 1 moon.

• Jupiter has about 60.

Composition: SolidOrbit / Location: 384,400 km from EarthPosition in Space: Orbits the EarthHow are they classified? Terrestrial

“planet” due to its size and composition.

Interesting Facts: The gravity between the Earth and the Moon cause the tides.

The moon has no atmosphere.

Earth’s Moon

Comets• A comet is a small body

of ice, rock and cosmic dust loosely packed together.

• It is made up of a nucleus, with a cloud that surrounds it and a tail.

CometsComposition: Solid – frozen water, gases,

and dust.Orbit / Location: Eccentric; takes them far

beyond the orbit of Pluto.Position in Space: Orbits the SunHow are they classified? By their orbital

period.Interesting Facts: May travel out of the

solar system for hundreds of years. Sometimes called “dirty snowballs”.

AsteroidsComposition: Solid Orbit / Location: Usually

orbit the sun in specific places but a few have planet-crossing orbits.

Position in Space:The Asteroid Belt is a region between the inner planets and outer planet where thousands of asteroids are found orbiting around the Sun.

How are they classified? Number of types according to their spectra (chemical composition), albedo (The albedo of an object is the extent to which it reflects light from the sun), and their position in the solar system.

Interesting Facts: January 1801 – first object observed that would be classified as an asteroid.

Asteroids

Asteroid BeltMore than 7000 asteroids have been

discovered. Several hundred more are discovered each year. There are undoubtedly hundreds of thousands more that are too small to be seen from the Earth.

The “Main Belt” is between Mars and Jupiter.

MeteorsComposition: Solid.Orbit / Location: Irregular due to them being bits

of material loose in space.Position in Space: Asteroid material until they

enter Earth’s atmosphere.How are they classified? According to whether

they enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up or strike the Earth’s surface.

Interesting Facts: Most burn up on entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

These are what we call shooting stars.

MeteoritesComposition: Solid.Orbit / Location: Irregular due to

them being bits of material loose in space.

Position in Space: Asteroid material until they enter Earth’s atmosphere.

How are they classified? According to whether they enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up or strike the Earth’s surface.

Interesting Fact: When a meteoroid hits the ground, it’s called a meteorite.

The Solar System

The Solar System