1. The Solar System
By: Seemani Dash

2. What is the Solar System?
Our focus question:
What is the Solar System?

3. Vocabulary for this Chapter
star: a huge ball of very hot, burning gas that gives off energy
ellipse: a shape like an oval
satellite: an object that orbits another object in space

4. What is our Solar System Made of?
The Sun
Eight planets
Dwarf planets
Moons
Asteroids
Comets

5. What is the Sun?
An average sized star made mostly of hydrogen and helium
The central and largest body in our solar system
Takes up almost 99% of the mass in our solar system
Very hot with no solid surfaces
Has three layers: the photosphere, the chromosphere, and the corona
Has three special things: sunspots, prominences, and solar flares

6. Sunspots, Prominences, and Solar Flares
Special
Description
Sunspot
Dark spots on the Sun that occur since they are not so hot like the rest of the Sun
Prominence
A eruption that looks like a ribbon of glowing gases
When it starts, it goes away after a few days or months
Solar Flare
a bright spot on the Sun
similar to volcanoes on Earth
usually last for only minutes or sometimes hours
gives off a lot of energy

7. Planets a large, round object that revolves around a star
cooler and smaller than stars
shine because the light of the star reflects off the planet’s surface
stay in their elliptical orbit around the star because of gravity
eight known planets in solar system

8. What are the Inner Planets?
the four planets closest to the Sun
the four smallest planets
The Names of the Inner Planets
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars

9. Mercury 1st planet from the Sun has no moons has thousands of craters
almost no atmosphere
very hot at day
freezing cold at night
Average distance from Sun
35,983,000 miles
Diameter
3,032 miles
Length of one day in Earth time
59 days
Length of one year in Earth time
88 days
Average surface temperature
243 degrees (F)

10. Venus 2nd planet from the Sun about the same size as Earth
rotates in the opposite direction than the other planets
has an atmosphere of thick, poisonous, and swirling clouds
Sun reflects off clouds, so the planet is one of the brightest objects in the sky
Average distance from Sun
67,200,000 miles
Diameter
7,521 miles
Length of one day in Earth time
243 days
Length of one year in Earth time
225 days
Average surface temperature
867 degrees (F)

11. Earth 3rd planet from the Sun only planet with liquid water
atmosphere supports life
largest rocky planet in the solar system
one moon that has many craters
Average distance from Sun
93,000,000 miles
Diameter
7,926 miles
Length of one day in Earth time
24 hours
Length of one year in Earth time
365 days
Average surface temperature
59 degrees (F)

12. Mars Average distance from Sun 141,600,000 miles Diameter 4,222 miles
4th planet from the Sun
has two deeply cratered moons
sometimes called the “Red Planet” because of soil that contains iron oxide
dust storms occur
has polar ice caps
many volcanoes
many probes landed on this planet
Average distance from Sun
141,600,000 miles
Diameter
4,222 miles
Length of one day in Earth time
25 hours
Length of one year in Earth time
686 days
Average surface temperature
-85 degrees (F)

13. What are the Outer Planets?
the four planets farthest from the Sun
the four largest planets
The “Gas Giants”, and the planets with rings
Name of the Planets
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune

14. Jupiter 5th planet from the Sun largest planet in the solar system
atmosphere made mostly of hydrogen and helium
at least 63 moons
has a large storm called the great red spot
Average distance from Sun
484,000,000 miles
Diameter
88,846 miles
Length of one day in Earth’s time
10 hours
Length of one year in Earth’s time
12 years
Average surface temperature
- 234 degrees (F)

15. Saturn 6th planet from the Sun has a low mass
has visible rings made of ice, dust, and rock
at least 47 moons
Average distance from Sun
885,900,000 miles
Diameter
74,897 miles
Length of one day in Earth’s time
11 hours
Length of one year in Earth’s time
29.4 years
Average surface temperature
- 288 degrees (F)

16. Uranus 7th planet from the Sun
atmosphere consists of hydrogen, helium, and methane
methane can become a liquid and makes a cloud that gives the planet a bluish color
at least 27 moons
rotates on its side
Average distance from the Sun
1,784,000,000 miles
Diameter
31,763 miles
Length of one day in Earth’s time
17 hours
Length of one year in Earth’s time
84 years
Average surface temperature
- 357 degrees (F)

17. Neptune 8th planet in the solar system smallest of the gas giants
has one huge storm called the “Great Dark Spot”
at least 13 moons
Average distance from Sun
2,795,000,000 miles
Diameter
30,775 miles
Length of one day in Earth’s time
16 hours
Length of one year in Earth’s time
165 years
Average surface temperature
- 353 degrees (F)

18. Asteroids rocky object up to hundreds of kilometers long Examples
sometimes called minor planets
most are found in between Mars and Jupiter, in the asteroid belt
some asteroids have smaller asteroids orbiting the bigger ones
This is Eros.
This is Ida
Examples

19. Comets frozen mass of different kinds of ice and dust
much smaller than planets
have two tails, outward moving particles from the Sun always push tails in a direction away from the Sun
This is a close look at a comet.

20. Dwarf Planets
it is a small, ball shaped or round object that revolves around the Sun
Pluto, Eris, and Ceres are all dwarf planets
Pluto orbits the Sun in a tilted ellipse
Pluto
Eris
Ceres

21. References
5th grade science book

22. I hope this helped you!