The Solar System

1. The Solar System By, Amber Pickowicz

2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/phone_accessory/2770431590

3. Our Solar System is made up of our Sun, eight planets, three dwarf planets, and their moons. • Each of these planets and their moons orbit around the sun. • The planets are split up into two groups; the inner planets and the outer planets.

4. Inner Planets • The four planets closest to the sun are the inner planets. • These planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Earth Venus Mars Mercury http://reevesastronomy.blogspot.com/2010/03/whats-up-tour-of-inner-solar-system.html

5. Mercury • Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. • It is the smallest planet in our Solar System. • Mercury does not have an atmosphere or any moons. • Mercury is a small, rocky planet that is covered with many craters. • Mercury was named after Hermes, the swift messenger of the ancient Greek gods because of how fast it moves across the sky.

6. Venus http://www.diracdelta.co.uk/science/source/v/e/venus/source.html • Venus is the second planet from the Sun and the sixth largest. • Venus is very hot and bright, making it easy to see from Earth. • It has a dense atmosphere, filled with thick clouds of poisonous gas (CO2). • There are many volcanoes on Venus. • Venus does not have any moons.

7. Earth http://www.macs.pvt.k12.ia.us/solarsystem.html • Earth is the third planet from the Sun. • Earth is the fifth largest planet. • So far, Earth is the only planet known to support life because it is just the right distance from the Sun. • Most of Earth is covered with water (~70%). • The Earth rotates round in space, which is why we have day time and night time. • Earth has one moon.

8. Mars http://www2.hawaii.edu/~maggies/science.html • Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh smallest planet. • Mars is sometimes called the Red Planet because of its color. • The dirt on Mars is filled with iron, which is why it looks red. • Mars has a very thin atmosphere. • Mars has strong winds that can make huge sandstorms, which can engulf the planet for months. • It also has polar ice caps and two moons.

9. Outer Planets • The four planets furthest from the Sun are the outer planets. • These planets are: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/iadventure/2310fall09/knelson/title.html

10. Jupiter http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/solar_system/pr2002028e/large_web/ • Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and is the largest planet in our solar system (more than 2x as massive as all the other planets combined). • Jupiter is made up almost completely of gas and has no solid surface. • Jupiter is famous for its Great Red Spot, which is made by a storm of swirling gases, and is so large that it could hold two Earths. • High velocity winds make up the wide, colorful bands of latitude seen on Jupiter. The chemical and temperature differences in these bands are what create the different colors. • Jupiter has an astonishing 63 known moons!

11. Saturn http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/saturn_image.html • Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in our solar system. • Saturn is a giant, gas planet, surrounded by thousands of beautiful rings. • These rings are very bright and can be seen from Earth. • They are made mostly of chunks of ice and rock. • Saturn also has colorful bands of latitude like Jupiter, just not as visible. • Saturn also has many moons…53!

12. Uranus https://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery.cfm?category=planets&page=3 • Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. • Uranus has 11 vertical rings. • Uranus spins around the Sun different then any other planet. • It is thought that something huge hit Uranus years ago and caused the planet to tilt over on its side. • Uranus is a gas planet. • Very cold methane gas makes Uranus look blue-green. • Uranus has 27 moons.

13. Neptune http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/education/schoolyard_ss/sss_neptunem.html • Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. • Neptune is a giant gas planet, bluish in color. • It is icy and has the coldest atmosphere of all the planets in our solar system. • Neptune has rings and bands of latitude also. • Neptune has the fastest winds in the solar system, at speeds reaching more than 1,200 miles per hour! • Neptune has a small white cloud called “The Scooter” that speeds around the planet every 16 hours. • Neptune has 13 known moons.

14. Pluto (Dwarf Planet) http://kancrn.kckps.k12.ks.us/banneker/students/planets.html • In 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted to reclassify Pluto as a dwarf planet. • Pluto is the furthest from the Sun, except for every 248 years, when Neptune orbits farther out than Pluto (which lasts about 20 years). • Pluto is made up of rock and ice. • It is very tiny and is brownish in color. • Pluto has 3 known moons. • Charon is its largest moon and is almost as big as Pluto.

15. Now it’ s time to make your own solar system! All you will need is: A hanger with 10 strings attached to it Scissors A hole puncher Crayons, markers, or colored pencils A printout with the numbered planets (including the Sun and Pluto)

16. Directions: Color your printout of the sun and planets. Cut-out your sun and planets. Place the models in order, starting with the sun and ending with Pluto. Punch a hole through the top of them. Starting with the sun at one end of the hanger, thread the string (that is hanging from the hanger) through the hole and tie a knot. Continue these steps until you have the sun and all the planets hanging in the correct order. ***Remember….1=Sun, 2=Mercury, 3=Venus, 4=Earth, 5=Mars, 6=Jupiter, 7=Saturn, 8=Uranus, 9=Neptune, 10=Pluto….***

17. References http://www.nineplanets.org/pluto.html http://www.neok12.com http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov Simple Science, Vivian Fernandez, 2007 B Plus Marketing. The Planets, Jeff Bauer, 2007 Scholastic Inc.