Objective: The Solar System: Sun and planets, facts and figures

1. Objective: The Solar System: Sun and planets, facts and figures Take out paper, and something to write with now. Copy anything you see that is black!

2. The Solar System refers to our Sun, which is a star, and the planets and other objects that orbit around it. Our Solar System is part of a bigger Galaxy, called the Milky Way Galaxy, which contains billions of stars, and the galaxy is just one of billions of galaxies in the Universe.

3. At the center of our solar system is the Sun. The Sun is a star. STAR: a large ball of gas held together by its own gravity, giving off heat and light caused by nuclear reactions like fusion. PLANETS: celestial bodies that orbit a star, in our solar system there are 8 (or 9) planets.

4. Asteroids: smaller than planets, they orbit the Sun with regularity. One of the largest asteroids is called VESTA. (asteroids are usually under 500 miles in diameter) Comets: smaller than asteroids, orbit the Sun in irregular ways, and emit a “COMA” or tail when they approach the Sun. Halley’s Comet, which shows up about every 75 years.

5. Here is a table of facts, some of which are not filled in. It’s also a handout for you today. Let’s look this over, and see what we can understand, and what we need to fill in.

6. We need to figure out the math of distance from the Sun. If we decide that 1,000,000 miles is the same as 1 millimeter The Earth is 93,000,000 miles from the Sun, so we can draw it 93 millimeters from the Sun. Mercury is only 44 million miles from the Sun, it’s 44 millimeters. To convert millimeters to inches, ÷ millimeters by 25.4. So, 44 mm ÷ 25.4 = 1.7 inches. Convert the millions of miles to millimeters, and then inches for the rest of the planets.

7. Here is a table of facts, some of which are not filled in. It’s also a handout for you today. Let’s look this over, and see what we can understand, and what we need to fill in.

8. Now we will calculate the relative sizes, compared to our Earth being a ball 10 millimeters in size. To do this math we need to set up an equality between the Earth being 10 mm in diameter (because that’s what we decided) and each planet and the Sun. For example: Earth 7900 Miles Diameter10 millimeters • Sun • 870,000 Miles Diameterx millimeters = Cross multiply to solve for x 7900 (X) = 10 x 870,000 X = 1100 mm (about) do the rest of the math

9. Here is a table of facts, some of which are not filled in. It’s also a handout for you today. Let’s look this over, and see what we can understand, and what we need to fill in.

10. Tuesday: We will break into 3 groups, as outlined below. Each group will make nine planets (8 plus Pluto), of proper diameter, with color. I will work on the Sun myself. We will measure distances from the Sun in 3 straight lines, and we will make 3 different “solar systems” which we will tape to the floor with BLUE tape. We will measure each planet to be correct size, and each planet will be at a correct distance from the Sun. Draw your planets to scale, and tape them to scale away from the Sun. Your job now: get with your group, decide how to draw each planetof proper size, and make nine planets (8 plus Pluto).