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Name _____________________________________________________________ Classifying the Solar System Introduction Scientists classify planets in many different ways. Today you work for NASA and will use information you gather from the Solar System Data Sheet to make decisions on how you will classify the planets. The Task 1. Classify each of the eight planets using these criteria: Its orbit in relation to Earth Inferior (between Earth & Sun) Superior (farther away from the Sun than the Earth). The make-up of its surface Rocky (Terrestrial) Gas (Jovian) Its size or diameter Giant (larger than Earth) Small (smaller than Earth). Its ability to be seen by our eyes Classical (planet that can be seen without a telescope – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) Modern (planets than cannot be seen without a telescope) 1. The following planets are considered… a. Inferior Planets 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 1 b. Superior Planets 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________________ 4. ______________________________________________________ 5. ______________________________________________________ 2. The following planets are… a. Rocky (Terrestrial) Planets 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________________ 4. ______________________________________________________ b. Gas (Jovian) Planets 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________________ 4. ______________________________________________________ 3. The following planets are… a. Giant Planets (larger than Earth) 1. ______________________________________________________ 2 2. ______________________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________________ 4. ______________________________________________________ b. Small Planets (smaller than Earth) 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________________ 4. The following planets are… a. Classical Planets (planet that can be seen without a telescope) 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________________ 4. ______________________________________________________ 5. ______________________________________________________ b. Modern Planets (planets than cannot be seen without a telescope) 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 5. Dwarf Planets 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 3 3. ______________________________________________________ 4. ______________________________________________________ 5. ______________________________________________________ 6. Describe the following and identify either where they are found. a. Comet ______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ b. Asteroid ____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ c. Meteor _____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 4 Classifying the Solar System Fact Sheet Planet Inferior/Superior Rocky/Gas Giant/Small Classical/Modern Mercury Inferior Rocky Small Classical Venus Inferior Rocky Small Classical Rocky Earth Mars Superior Rocky Small Classical Jupiter Superior Gas Giant Classical Saturn Superior Gas Giant Classical Uranus Superior Gas Giant Modern Neptune Superior Gas Giant Modern Dwarf Planets Ceres Eris Haumea MakeMake Pluto Asteroids Description Where Found Asteroids are small, irregularly-shaped rocky bodies. Asteroids are mostly found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Some can be found orbiting inside the orbit of Jupiter. Size ranges from 330 mi to around 100 yards. Two largest - Vesta – 330 mi; Pallas – 300 mi. (Note – Asteroids cannot be seen without a telescope.) 5 Comets Description Where Found Kuiper Belt Found outside the orbit of Neptune to around 10,000,000,000 from Sun. Made of icy objects. Estimated over 1,000,000 objects. Comets are made of water ice, dry ice, ammonia ice, dirt, and rocks. They are sometimes called “dirty snowballs.” Comets are made of the following three parts: Oort Cloud Found from ½ light-year to over 1 light-year from Sun. Made of icy objects. Estimated over 1,000,000,000,000 objects. Nucleus – The “dirty snowball.” Coma – Dense cloud of vaporized ices and dirt that surrounds Nucleus. Tail – Gases and other particles blown off the comet by the Solar Wind (particles from the Sun). Always points away from the Sun. (Note – A few comets can be seen without a telescope; a telescope is needed to see most comets.) Meteoroids/Meteors/Meteorites Description Where Found They are irregularly-shaped rocky bodies ranging in size from a grain of sand to around a mile or two. Most come from the Asteroid Belt. A few come from particles left from comets when Earth crosses their path. Meteoroid – Rocky body travelling in space. Meteor – Rocky body traveling through an atmosphere. Meteorite – Rocky body hits surface of a object. 6