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Unit 2
THE PLANETS
BY MRS. D
FOR ELL STUDENTS
What is the Milky Way?
 The
Milky Way is
galaxy that
contains our solar
system.
So what is in the Solar System?

-
-
Our Solar Systems is made up of
The Sun
8 Planets
Dwarf Planets (Pluto is an example)
Moons
Comets
Asteroids
Dust
Gas
The Sun: Center of the Solar
System
 The
sun is a star and is
much larger than any
solar system planet.
 The sun produces large
amounts of heat and
light.
 The sun is the largest
object that can be
seen
DANGER!!!
 The
sun is so bright
that if you look
directly at it, it can
hurt your eyes and
your vision!
 You should never
look at the sun
through a
telescope,
binoculars or just
your eyes!
Planets
 There
are 8 planets.
 They are large, round bodies made up of
either rock OR gases.
 They ALL revolve around the sun.
 They ALL ROTATE (spin) about an axis.
 In order from the sun- Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune.
The Inner Planets- Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars.
Inner planets are
1. Made of rock and dense
2. Thin atmospheres
3. Small diameters
4. Few moons
5.
Revolution times are short.
Mercury
Smallest Planet
Closest to the Sun
½ the size of the Earth.
Venus
 HOT!!!!Full
of Volcanoes! Lava is flowing!
 Atmosphere is carbon dioxide.
 Has THICK CLOUDS that surround it so it is
hard to see from a telescope!!!!!!
Earth
 Third
planet from the sun.
 Atmosphere of Nitrogen, Oxygen and
Carbon Dioxide.
 Abundant water – 70% is covered with
water.
 The water keeps the Earth at a
temperature that allows life.
Mars
 Red
Planet – because of its red, rocky
surface.
 Giant DUST STORMS!!!!! And has sand
dunes!
 Has many Volcanoes. (Like other inner
planets).
Outer Planets- Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune They
are farther from the sun
 Made of gas
 Are huge- large diameter!
 Don’t have a solid surface
 Cores are very small
 Many moons and rings
 COLD!!!!!
Jupiter
 Largest
planet in our solar system.
 Big Red spot on it.
 Very faint (hard to see) ring.
Saturn
 Second
largest planet
 It’s ring is made up of ice and rock.
 Has large storms! (like Jupiter)
Uranus
 Huge
tilt! It rotates on its side!
 Seasons last for 20 years!
 Deep inside, it has heated gases that
burst to the surface!
 Has 13 faint rings.
Neptune
 Windiest
planet
 The winds blow a great dark spot around
the planet. This great spot (the size of the
Earth) is a huge storm!
 9 rings
Besides Planets, there are
many other bodies that orbit
the sun.
 Dwarf
Planets
 Moons
 Asteroids
 Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites
 Comets
Dwarf Planets
 Are
nearly round bodies whose orbits
cross the orbits of other bodies.
 Pluto is a dwarf planet.
Moons
A
celestial body that makes an orbit
around a planet.
 Earth -1
 Mars- 2
 Jupiter 63
 Saturn- 61
 Uranus -27
 Neptune- 13
Asteroids
 Made
of rock and iron and objects that
orbit the sun.
 Millions of them are found in the wide
region between Mars and Jupiter. This is
known as the asteroid belt.
Formative Assessment
 1.
Which planets have a small diameter?
Which planets have a large diameter?
 2. Why is it difficult to see Venus using a
telescope?
 3.Why is the sun considered to be the
center of the solar system?
 4. What are the order of the planets?
 5. Why is a moon NOT a planet?
–FCAT Practice
 Which
characteristics distinguish outer
planets from inner ones?
 A. The outer planets have many moons
 B. The outer planets orbit in a different
direction
 C. The outer planets have higher densities.
 D. The outer planets have smaller
diameters.
Exit Ticket
 Tell
 Tell
me three things you learned today.
me one thing that you don’t
understand OR want to learn more about.