PLANETS IN OURSOLAR SYSTEM

The Solar System

Ms. Raeann DelFratte

Grade 5

2/23/15

Preview of The Solar System

A Tour of the Solar System

Mercury

FUN FACT: Mercury’s sunny side has a temperature rising to 750° Fahrenheit. Mercury’s dark side, however, goes down to -328° Fahrenheit.

Diameter: about 5,000 km

Revolution: 88 days

Rotation: 59 days

Full of craters

Venus

FUN FACT: Venus is named after the Roman Goddess of love and beauty.

Diameter: about 12,000 km

Revolution: 225 days

Rotation: 243 days

Atmosphere composed of sulphuric acid and CO2

Earth

FUN FACT: The Earth is relatively fragile due to its moving tectonic plates.

Diameter: about 12,000 km

Rotation: What do you think?

Revolution: What do you think?

Only planet with conditions right for plentiful, liquid water

Mars

FUN FACT: Mars has polar ice caps, which makes scientists wonder if life was once, or is, a possibility on Mars.

Diameter: about 7,000 km

Rotation: 24.6 hours

Revolution:687 days

Surface covered in craters, volcanoes, and canyons

Jupiter

FUN FACT: There is a permanent storm on the planet known as Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.

Diameter: about 143,000 km

Rotation: 10 hours

Revolution: 12 years

Made of Hydrogen gas, experiences huge oval-shaped storms

Saturn

The rings are composed of small ice and rock particles

FUN FACT: Saturn has at least 18 moons.

Diameter: about 121,000 km

Revolution: 12 years

Rotation: 10 hours

Uranus

Covered by a thick layer of gas and is surrounded by nine rings

FUN FACT: As Uranus orbits the sun, it is laying on its side.

Diameter: about 51,000 km

Revolution: 84 years

Rotation: 17 hours

Neptune

Affected by harsh storm systems and is surrounded by five rings

FUN FACT: This planet was not discovered until 1846.

Diameter: about 50,000 km

Revolution: 165 years

Rotation: 16 hours

Questions For Class Discussion

1) As of 2008, Pluto is no longer considered a planet. Who knows why?

2) What planet is closest to Earth in size? In time spans of revolutions and resolutions?

3) If all planets were created at the same time, which planet has gone around the sun the most amount of times? The least?

4) How many times bigger is the biggest planet compared to the smallest planet?

5) A preview for the next lesson: What are some other components of our Solar System, besides the planets?

Interactive Websites to Try

Comparing Planet Sizes Your Weight on Other Worlds Detailed Descriptions – Click “Homework Helper” Quiz Yourself

References

Hipschman, R. Exploratorium. (1997). Your Weight on Other Worlds. Retrieved on March 1, 2015 from http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/

History. (2014). Interactive Universe. Retrieved on February 26, 2015 from http://www.history.com/interactives/interactive-universe

Microsoft. (n.d.). Image of Earth. Taken from PowerPoint on March 4, 2015.

MS Nucleus (n.d.). Universe Cycle - Solar System. Retrieved on February 28, 2015 from http://www.msnucleus.org/membership/html/k-6/uc/solar_system/2/ucss2_1a.html

NASA. (2009). Image of Mars. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/833393/planet-mars).

NASA. (2009). Image of Mercury. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/715477/planet-mercury).

NASA. (2009). Image of Neptune. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/718570/neptune).

NASA. (2009). Image of Saturn. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/701293/saturn-and-4-icy-moons-natural-color).

NASA. (2009). Image of Uranus. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/707555/uranus-upper-atmosphere).

NASA. (2009). Image of Venus. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/710176/pioneering-venus).

NASA. (2010). Image of Jupiter. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/730771/jupiter-astronomy).

NASA. (2011). Image of Earth. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/742056/earth-observations).

Nine Planets (n.d.). Interactive Tour of the Solar System. Retrieved on February 26, 2015 from http://nineplanets.org/tour/

Planets for Kids. (2012). Solar System Quiz. Retrieved on March 1, 2015 from http://www.planetsforkids.org/quiz.html

Planets for Kids. (2014). Planets for Kids. Retrieved on February 26, 2015 from http://www.planetsforkids.org/

ScienceNet Links. (n.d.). Planet Size Comparison. Retrieved on February 27, 2015 from http://sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/messenger/psc/PlanetSize.html

Solar System. (n.d.). Solar System 101. Retrieved on February 26, 2015 from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/#