Download Solar System Notes

Solar System
Notes
Inner Planets
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Terrestrial Planets
Dense & Rocky
Smaller
Closer to the sun
Planets
– Mercury
– Venus
– Earth
– Mars
Outer Planets
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Gas Giants
Large Planets
Massive atmospheres
Further from the sun
Planets
– Jupiter
– Saturn
– Uranus
– Neptune
Rotation v. Revolution
• Rotation
– 1 Full Turn on Axis
– 1 Day
• Revolution
– 1 Full Circle
Around the Sun
– 1 Year
Age on Other Planets Activity
• Which planet has the fastest rotation?
– Jupiter  0.41 Days  Most # of Days (12,000 ish)
• Which planet has the slowest rotation?
– Venus  243 Days  Least # of Days (20 ish)
• Which planet has the fastest revolution?
– Mercury  87.89 Days  Most # of Years (56 ish)
• Which planet has the slowest revolution?
– Pluto  248.59 YEARS  Least # of Years (0.05 ish)
Mercury: Closest to the Sun
• 2nd Smallest
• No True Atmosphere
– Extreme Temperature changes
– Hottest Planet
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Most craters
No Moon
1 Day = 59 Earth Days
1 Year = 88 Days
Venus: Earths Twin?
• 2nd Planet from the Sun
• Size and Mass similar to Earth
• Retrograde Rotation
– Rotates opposite from Earth
• Densest Atmosphere
– Mostly carbon dioxide = Toxic
• Slowest period of rotation
– 1 day = 243 days
– Takes more time to rotate around axis then to
revolve once around the sun
Earth: An Oasis in Space
• 3rd from the Sun
• Abundant water and life
• Atmosphere causes meteors to burn up
Mars: Red Planet
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4th planet from the sun
Thinner atmosphere
Iron Oxide gives red color
Polar ice caps
– Frozen carbon dioxide & water
Jupiter: Giant
• 5th planet from the sun
• Largest planet
• Atmosphere
– Mostly hydrogen & helium
• Many Moons
• Great Red Spot  Huge Storm
• Rotates the fastest
– 1 day = 10 hours
– High winds = Storms
Saturn
• 6th planet from the sun
• Thick outer atmosphere
• Large Ring System
– Icy particles
• Many Moons
Uranus: Tilted Planet
• 7th planet from the Sun
• Thin, dark rings
• Blue-Green Color
– Methane in Atmosphere
• Tipped on its side
Neptune: The Blue World
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8th planet from the sun
Blue-Green Color
Dark Colored Storms
Layer of Liquid water under atmosphere
Very Narrow Rings
Strongest Winds
Pluto – Mystery “Planet”
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Furthest “Planet”
Dwarf Planet
Smallest
Thin Atmosphere
Solid, Icy-Rock
Surface