Download Workbook I

Name _____________________________________________________________
Solar System
Workbook I
Date Due:
pg. 1
The assignments in this workbook cover the following
standards:
STANDARD III: Students will understand the
relationship and attributes of objects in the solar
system.
 Understand and correctly use unit vocabulary.
 Using a table, identify physical properties of the
components of the Solar System (i.e., planets, dwarf
planets. comets, asteroids, meteors)
 Compare and contrast comets, asteroids, and
meteoroids/ meteors/meteorites.
pg. 2
Can You Planet?
(From Universe At Your Fingertips, Astronomical Society of the Pacific)
Sort out the planets. Next to each planet’s name, put “yes” if the
statement is true (Jupiter is larger than Earth – Yes) or “no” if it is
not true (Earth has rings – No). Use this information to place the
planets on the Venn Diagram! (Use the Planetary Fact Sheet you have
been given.)
Planetary Facts Helping Table
Larger than Earth
Has Ring(s)
Has Moon(s)
Earth
Jupiter
Mars
Mercury
Neptune
Saturn
Uranus
Venus
pg. 3
Use the information from the chart to place the planets in the correct
circle or intersection of circles.
Has moon(s)
Has rings
& moons
Has rings
pg. 4
Use the information from the chart to place the planets in the correct
circle or intersection of circles!
Larger than Earth
Has moon(s) & larger than Earth
Has rings & larger than Earth
Has moon(s), rings & larger than Earth
Has moon(s)
Has moon(s) & rings
Has rings
pg. 5
Use the Venn Diagram, chart, and fact sheet to answer the following
questions.
1. Which planets are larger than Earth? ___________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. Which two sets of planets are closest in size? ___________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. What percent of the planets are smaller than Earth? _________% (# of smaller
planets divided by eight)
4. Which planets have moons? _________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. Which planet has the most moons? ___________________________________
6. What is the total number of known moons in our Solar System? ______________
7. What is the average number of moons per planet?
___________________________
(total number of moons divided by 8)
8. Which planets fit into all three categories?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
9. Which planets have days that are longer than 24 hours?
__________________________________________________________________
pg. 6
Comparison of Rocky Planets and Gas Giants
(modified from a graphic organizer found at Amazing Space)
Using the Solar System Fact Sheet, compare and contrast comets and asteroids.
Rocky Planets
Gas Giants
Composition (of what are the rocky planets
made)
Composition (of what are gas giants made)
List the rocky planets
List the gas giants
a.
c.
a.
c.
b.
d.
b.
d.
Can a spacecraft land on the rocky planets?
Can a spacecraft land on the gas giants?
Type of atmosphere (thick, thin, thick to
very thick, etc.)
Type of atmosphere (thick, thin, thick to
very thick, etc.)
Where found in Solar System (near to Sun
or far away)
Where found in Solar System (near to Sun,
or far away)
Temperature range of planets (lowest to
highest)
Temperatures of range planets (lowest to
highest)
Are the rocky planets larger or smaller
compared to gas giants?
Are the gas giants larger or smaller
compared to rocky planets?
pg. 7
Rocky Planets
Number of moons (many or from few to
none)
Gas Giants
Number of moons (many or from few to
none)
Comparing the Rocky Inner Planets
Mercury
Venus
Distance from Sun:
Distance from Sun:
Diameter:
Diameter:
Number of Moons:
Number of Moons:
Rings:
Rings:
Atmosphere:
Atmosphere:
Weight on planet:
Weight on planet:
Earth
Mars
Distance from Sun:
Distance from Sun:
Diameter:
Diameter:
Number of Moons:
Number of Moons:
Rings:
Rings:
Atmosphere:
Atmosphere:
Weight on planet:
Weight on planet:
pg. 8
Comparing the Outer Gas Giants
Jupiter
Saturn
Distance from Sun:
Distance from Sun:
Diameter:
Diameter:
Number of Moons:
Number of Moons:
Rings:
Rings:
Atmosphere:
Atmosphere:
Weight on planet:
Weight on planet:
Uranus
Neptune
Distance from Sun:
Distance from Sun:
Diameter:
Diameter:
Number of Moons:
Number of Moons:
Rings:
Rings:
Atmosphere:
Atmosphere:
Weight on planet:
Weight on planet:
pg. 9
Asteroid, Comet, or Meteor?
Place an “X” in the appropriate boxes to indicate characteristics of asteroids, comets,
and meteors.
Asteroid
Comet
Meteor
Made of ice,
dust, and gas.
Appears as a
streak in the sky.
Made of rock
and/or metal.
Orbits the
Sun.
Often called
“shooting stars.”
Sometimes called
a “dirty
snowball.”
Orbits between
Mars and
Jupiter.
Most are found in
the Oort Cloud or
Kuiper Belt.
pg. 10
Comparison of Comets and Asteroids
(modified from a graphic organizer found at Amazing Space)
Using the Solar System Fact Sheet, compare and contrast comets and asteroids.
Comets
Asteroids
Source: Astronomy Picture of the Day,
December 28, 2005
(Source: Astronomy Picture of the Day, March 30, 2007)
Composition (What it’s made of)
Composition (What it’s made of)
Where are they found in the Solar System?
Where are they found in the Solar System?
Can it be seen without a telescope?
Can it be seen without a telescope?
Distance from Sun
Distance from Sun
Estimated number
Estimated number
pg. 11
Falling Stars
The sight of a falling star is always exciting. Before the word “look! ”is out of your
mouth, the streak of light is gone. You point to where it was and ask others if they saw
it, too. Often, no one else sees the speedy flight of light flash by, and you are left
trying to describe what you saw and felt. You stare at the dark space, hoping another
will streak across the sky.
What is a falling star? A falling star is not a star at all. It is not even a piece of a star.
Stars are huge balls of burning gas sending off great amounts of energy in the form of
light and heat. Stars are much bigger than our planet. Stars do not fall; they stay in
their own places in their own galaxies. Our sun is a star.
A falling star is a meteor. Meteors are streaks of light in the sky that we can see when
a small speck of dust burns up high in the air above us. Where do these specks of dust
come from? Comets!
Astronomers call these pieces of comet dust “meteoroids.” Meteoroids are usually
smaller than a grain of sand. Some meteoroids are bigger, but most are tiny. Meteoroids
hit the Earth’s atmosphere at super-high speed, sometimes faster than 90,000 miles
per hour. The friction between the tiny meteoroid and the atmosphere creates the light
that we recognize as a meteor (or “falling star”).The dust speck that burns up is called a
meteoroid. The flash of light is called a meteor. Meteors usually last just a second or
two.
Sometimes, there are meteor showers. The heavens are a black theater for an amazing
display of silent fireworks. It is exciting to watch all these meteors shoot through the
dark sky. There are so many that if you watch with a friend, you will probably see some
of the same and some different ones. Scientists also watch these meteors and record
the numbers, the brightness, and the paths of these beautiful fireworks of nature. In a
meteor shower, many shooting stars seem to fall from one area of the sky.
Why do we have meteor showers? They happen when the Earth passes through the tail
of a comet. Like the dust cloud surrounding Pigpen in the “Peanuts” comics, a meteoroid
stream travels along with the comet on its orbit through the Solar System.
Some people are confused by comets and meteors. A comet is different from a meteor.
A comet is usually larger and travels slowly across the night sky. A very bright comet
only appears once or twice in a century but it remains in the sky for many days or
pg. 12
months. Comets appear to be bright balls with fat tails. They do not fall rapidly in the
sky; you would have to watch one for hours or days to see its movement. The center of a
comet is a ball of frozen gas, dust, and water. Like planets or moons, comets orbit
around the Sun.
The comet that causes the Leonids is called Tempel-Tuttle. It is named after two
scientists who discovered it at the end of 1865.The scientists were not working
together; one was in France and one was in America. They were each looking through
telescopes. Both astronomers spotted the comet and reported their finding. The comet
they found was not a big, bright comet. It is so small that it can only be seen with a
telescope. The comet Tempel-Tuttle is about two-and-a-half miles in diameter.
When comets get close to the Sun, they begin to warm up and their icy material begins
to melt. Tiny grains of dirt that have been riding on the comet for perhaps four and a
half billion years fly off into space to join a long stream of orbiting meteoroids.
When the Earth hits this stream of comet junk from Tempel-Tuttle, meteors seem to
shoot out of the constellation Leo. That’s why this meteor shower is called the Leonids.
The Leonids are famous. The reason that the Leonids are so famous is that sometimes
they cause a meteor storm! In a meteor storm, over 1,000 meteors blaze across the sky
every hour. In 1833, people all over America woke up to see hundreds of stars falling
every minute! All night, the sky was brightened by meteors that rocketed through the
night by the thousands! Since no telescopes or fancy equipment was needed to see the
storm, ordinary people were able to see that wonderful and rare sight. Many artists
tried to paint pictures of the “rain of stars “that fell so heavily that night. Newspapers
ran many stories about the storm. What they saw was a Leonids meteor storm. This
display was so beautiful and amazing that meteors suddenly captured the attention and
imagination of people everywhere. Scientists were inspired to begin a serious study of
meteors and their causes.
The best way to watch a meteor storm is with your eyes. Telescopes are not required.
Dress warmly. Set up a comfortable lounge chair with blankets and snacks or spread out
a blanket. Lie down and look up at the sky. Watch the beautiful flashes of light from
tiny “sky candles “created in the long-ago dawn of our Solar System.
pg. 13
Falling Stars
Some of the following words and phrases describe comets. Some words and phrases
describe meteors. Some words and phrases describe meteoroids. Some describe more
than one. Based on what you learned in the article “Falling Stars,” write “comets,”
“meteors,” and/or “meteoroids” by the appropriate words and phrases.
 Shooting stars _________________________________________________
 Composed of minerals and ice ______________________________________
 Orbits Sun ____________________________________________________
 Has a tail _____________________________________________________
 Speedy streak of light ___________________________________________
 Usually weighs less than a grain of sand _______________________________
 Hits the atmosphere faster than 90,000 miles per hour ___________________
 Surface melts into gas and dust when gets close to Sun ___________________
 Lasts a second or two ____________________________________________
 Travels slowly across the night sky __________________________________
 May come in showers or storms _____________________________________
 Remains in the sky for many days or weeks _____________________________
Asteroid Facts
The Apollo asteroids are a group of near-Earth asteroids named after 1862 Apollo, the
first asteroid of this group to be discovered by Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth. They are Earthcrosser asteroids. The Apollo asteroids travel just inside Earth’s orbit to 2/3rd of the
way to Mars. Some can get very close to the Earth, making them a potential threat to
our planet.
pg. 14
1862 Apollo was discovered by Karl Reinmuth in 1932, but lost and not recovered until
1973. It is named after the Greek god Apollo. It is the namesake of the Apollo
asteroids. It was the first asteroid recognized to cross Earth's orbit. It is also a
Venus- and Mars-crosser asteroid.
Centaurs - The centaurs are an unstable orbital class of minor planets named after the
mythological race of centaurs. The name was chosen because they behave as half
asteroid and half comet. Centaurs have transient orbits that cross or have crossed the
orbits of one or more of the giant planets, and have dynamical lifetimes of a few million
years.
The first centaur-like object to be discovered was 944 Hidalgo in 1920. However, they
were not recognized as a distinct population until the discovery of 2060 Chiron in 1977.
The largest known centaur is 10199 Chariklo, discovered in 1997, which at 260 km in
diameter is as big as a mid-sized main-belt asteroid.
Ceres, formal designation 1 Ceres, is the smallest dwarf planet in the Solar System
(since 2006) and the only one in the asteroid belt. It was the first asteroid discovered
on 1 January 1801, by Giuseppe Piazzi, and is named after the Roman goddess Ceres —
the goddess of growing plants, the harvest, and motherly love.
2060 Chiron (keye-ron) is a planetoid in the outer Solar System. Discovered in 1977 by
Charles T. Kowal (precovery images have been found as far back as 1895), it was the
first known member of a new class of objects now known as centaurs, with an orbit
between those of Saturn and Uranus.
Although it was initially classified as an asteroid, it was later found to exhibit behavior
typical of a comet. Today it is classified as both, and accordingly it is also known by the
cometary designation 95P/Chiron.
Chiron is named after the centaur Chiron in Greek mythology.
433 Eros is the first discovered Near-Earth asteroid (NEA), named after the Greek
god of love, Eros. It is a stony approximately 34.4×11.2×11.2 km in size, the secondlargest (NEA) after 1036 Ganymed. It is a Mars-crosser asteroid and was the first
asteroid that was known to come within the orbit of Mars.
944 Hidalgo (hi-DAL-goh) is an unusual asteroid, and has the longest orbital period
(13.77 years) of any asteroid in the traditional asteroid belt. It is a Centaur-like
pg. 15
asteroid. (This designation is given to those objects that have orbits between Jupiter
and Neptune.)
It travels from the inner edge of the asteroid belt (251,100,000 miles) out to Saturn's
orbit (887,220,000 miles). Some astronomers suspect that it was once a comet. Its
diameter is estimated to be 38 km.
3352 McAuliffe is a near Earth asteroid and a Mars-crosser asteroid (asteroid crosses
the orbit of Mars) which was discovered by Norman G. Thomas on February 6, 1981. It
is named in memory of Christa McAuliffe, the civilian teacher astronaut who died in the
1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster.
2578 Saint-Exupéry is a small main belt asteroid, which was discovered by Tamara M.
Smirnova on November 2, 1975. It is named after Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the French
aviator and writer. The name is appropriate, as Saint-Exupéry's best-known character,
The Little Prince, lives on an asteroid.
In the book, the little prince's asteroid also has a unique code: B612. 2578 SaintExupéry's provisional designation was 1975 VW3, which is not a match. However, there
is another asteroid called 46610 Bésixdouze, which is French for "B-six-twelve" (B612 in
hexadecimal notation equals 46610).
2266 Tchaikovsky (cheye-cough-ski) (1974 VK) is a main belt asteroid discovered on
November 12, 1974 by L. Chernykh at Nauchnyj. Tchaikovsky wrote pieces like the 1812
Overture, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake.
The Adventure Is Waiting
There are many cool objects flying around in space. Do you know the difference between an
asteroid, a comet, a meteor, and a meteorite? Try the activity below to learn more!
Read the sentences below to learn about three asteroids that were named after famous
people. Read the fact sheet to find out who these people were. Use the information to
complete the sentences.
The asteroid 3352 McAuliffe is named after Christa McAuliffe, who was…
____________________________________________________________________
pg. 16
The asteroid 2266 Tchaikovsky (cheye-cough-ski) is named after a Russian music composer
who…
____________________________________________________________________
The asteroid 2578 Saint-Exupéry (ex-ooh-purr-a) is named after Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,
who...
____________________________________________________________________
Explain why the following asteroids are famous…
433 Eros (air-ohs)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
1 Ceres (sear-eez)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2060 Chiron (keye-ron)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
944 Hidalgo (hi-dal-goh)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
1862 Apollo
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
pg. 17
Planetary Fact Sheet – Can You Planet?
Diameter
Length of
Day
Moons
Rings
Earth
12,800 km
23 hrs 56 min
1
No
Jupiter
143,000km
9 hrs 55 min
63
Yes
Mars
6,800 km
24 hrs 7 min
2
No
Mercury
4,900 km
59 days
0
No
Neptune
49,500 km
16 hrs 7 min
13
Yes
Saturn
120,600 km
10 hrs 39 min
62
Yes
Uranus
51,100 km
17 hrs 14 min
27
Yes
Venus
12,100 km
243 days
0
No
pg. 18