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Part One: Inner Small Rocky

The Planets. of our solar system. Part One: Inner Small Rocky. Some Key Background Terms:. The word “planet” comes from the Greek word for “wanderer”, meaning that planets were originally defined as objects that moved in the night sky with respect to the background of fixed stars.

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Part One: Inner Small Rocky

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  1. The Planets of our solar system Part One: Inner Small Rocky

  2. Some Key Background Terms: The word “planet” comes from the Greek word for “wanderer”, meaning that planets were originally defined as objects that moved in the night sky with respect to the background of fixed stars. A PLANET is an object in orbit around the Sun that is large enough (massive enough) to have its self-gravity pull itself into a round (or nearly round) shape. In addition a “planet” orbits in a clear path around the Sun – there are no other bodies in its path that it must sweep up as it goes around the Sun.Based on this definition, there are 8 planets in our solar system. SOLAR SYSTEM – Made mostly of empty space, this is the area subject to the gravitational influence of a star. Any mass within this boundary is effected in some way by the star in the center of the system.

  3. Our solar system has a diameter of about 100,000 AU’s AU (Astronomical Unit) – The average distance between the Sun and the Earth – about 93 million miles (150,000,000 km). Bonus If you left Earth in a space ship travelling at 1,000 miles per hour, about how many years would it take you to reach the edge of our solar system ? The planets (and most other objects) in our solar system orbit the sun in counter-clockwise ellipses. Some paths are almost circular. Others have very elongated orbits. We call the vast space in between planets interplanetary space. The deep space in between various solar systems is considered to be interstellar space.

  4. Reality Check This is a photograph of Andromeda the closest neighbor to our galaxy. It is 2.5 million light years away. At about 220,000 light years across, it contains hundreds of billions of stars. Actually, this is what our Milky Way galaxy would look like at that distance. However, every dot of light you see in the photo is a star in our galaxy, not Andromeda’s. Being so far away, and having so many stars, we cannot single out just one star in this foreign galaxy, but can only view the vast number together as only a haze. So....Even as large as our solar system is, it would be invisible from a distance. Even our star, the powerful Sun, wouldn’t be noticeable within the cloud of light produced by it and it’s millions of neighbors. Our closest neighbor... Proxima Centauri, a mere 4.2 light years away (25,000,000,000,000 miles). .....But, more on stars and galaxies to come......

  5. Classifying The Planets Most of the time, the planets of our solar system are placed into groups based on: -Composition -Distance from the Sun -Size Luckily, this is easier than it sounds. The 4 planets that are closest to the sun are also the smallest in diameter. They happen to be made out of similar materials too. The 4 largest planets are much further out and are comprised mainly of gas. This gives us 2 main groups! Why do you think this is the case?

  6. Venus Mercury Earth Mars These are the inner “rocky” planets. Some times referred to as the terrestrial planets, they orbit closest to the Sun and are relatively small. They have a lot in common. We as Earthlings are included in this group!

  7. Mercury -88 day solar year -No Moons -Most of the planet consists of a large Nickel - Iron core - .055 the mass of Earth -Closest planet to the sun (Avg. 43 million Km) -Visible from Earth only at sunrise and sunset -Temperature range: -173°C to 427°C -One of two planets displaying “phases” from Earth -Density= 5.43 (Second densest after Earth) -Diameter = 4,879 Km (Smallest in the system) -One Solar Day is equivalent to 58.7 earth days -No atmosphere (Mainly because of solar wind and low gravity) -Heavily cratered surface (almost moon - like in appearance) largest, Caloris Basin is 1,400 Km wide and 9 Km deep.

  8. Venus -Density = 5.25 -Temperature range: -40°C to 480°C (Hottest in the solar system) -224 day solar year -No moons -Planet most similar to Earth in size ( 12,100 Km diameter / 0.81of Earth’s mass) -Visible from Earth mostly at evening (sets just after the Sun) -Sulfuric acid clouds and rain, Active volcanoes -Very thick CO2 atmosphere makes it “shine”, but also responsible for runaway greenhouse effect and creates pressure 92x greater then Earth. -Spins in a retrograde motion (clockwise) at a rate of once every 243 earth days – clouds only 4 -Like Mercury, displays “phases” when seen from Earth -108 million Km average distance from the Sun

  9. Earth -12,700 Km diameter -Density = 5.5 -365.26 day year -23.9 hour solar day -149.6 million Km from the sun average) -70% of Surface is covered by water. Along with a Nitrogen and Oxygen rich atmosphere, this allows life to exist (perhaps the only place in the system) -Active surface moves in plates driven by heat from the radioactive Iron – Nickel core. -Most consistent temperature of all planets, allows water to exist as a liquid. -.0003 polar flattening -Single moon (the largest natural satellite among the inner planets) -More on Earth’s Moon to come

  10. Mars - 6,787 Km Diameter -Only 1/10th the Mass of the Earth -.005 polar flattening -24.5 hour day -687 day year -Very thin CO2 atmosphere allows heat to escape -Density = 3.9 (least dense of the inner planets) -Appearance of polar ice caps, signs of previous vulcanism, water flow, and possible prior life! -Often called “The Red Planet” because of the Iron Oxide- rich desert surface covering most of the planet. -Temperatures range from 0°C to -123°C Contains the largest volcano in the solar system, -Has 2 very small moons, Phobos and Deimos Olympus Mons - 88,580 ft

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