Handout 2 (1-2) The Outer Planets

Matching outer planets asteroid belt gas giant Pluto a planet with a deep and massive gaseous atmosphere the planets farthest from the sun; include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto the smallest and usually most distant planet; differs from other outer planets a ring of debris that separates the inner planets from the outer planets outer planets asteroid belt gas giant Pluto

How do the gas giants compare with the terrestrial planets? Gas giants are larger and less dense.

Compared with the terrestrial planets, the gas giants ________________________________. have more gravity, which helps them retain gases

The thick atmosphere of the gas giants is made up of _______________. hydrogen and helium

The gas giants have ring systems that are made up of _______________. dust and icy debris

Jupiter

Jupiter is the ____ planet from the sun.

Jupiter’s mass is more than ____ times that of Earth. 300

How long is Jupiter’s orbital period? Almost 12 years

How often does Jupiter rotate on its axis? 9 hours 50 minutes- fastest of all planets

Jupiter has at least 60 ______, moons four of which are the size of small planets.

How much of Jupiter’s atmosphere is composed of hydrogen and helium? 92% (much like the sun) How much of Jupiter’s atmosphere is composed of hydrogen and helium?

Jupiter’s atmosphere is much like the atmosphere of the ____. sun

Why didn’t Jupiter become a star? Not have enough mass for nuclear fusion to begin.

How does Jupiter’s large mass affect its interior temperature and pressure? The temperature and pressure inside Jupiter are much greater than inside Earth. 1700°F

Saturn

How far is Saturn from the sun? It is the sixth planet from the sun.

How long is Saturn’s orbital period? 29.5 years

How many moons does Saturn have? at least 30

How large is Titan, Saturn’s largest moon? half the size of Earth Earth’s Moon Saturn’s Moon

Saturn, like the planet _______, is made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium and has a rocky, iron core. Jupiter

Saturn is the least ___________ planet in the solar system. dense

Saturn is known for its ______, which are two times the planet’s diameter. rings

Like Jupiter, Saturn has ________ of colored clouds. bands

Uranus

Uranus is the ________ planet from the sun and the third largest planet in the solar system. seventh

Why is Uranus a difficult planet to study? It is so far from the sun (3 billion km.)

Uranus has at least _____ moons and at least 11 small rings. 24

The orbital period for Uranus is almost __ years. 84

Although most planets rotate with their axis perpendicular to their orbital planes, Uranus’s axis is almost ________to the plane of its orbit. parallel

How often does Uranus rotate? About 17 hours

The planet’s blue-green color indicates that the atmosphere may contain significant amounts of ________, in addition to hydrogen and methane. helium

Neptune

Neptune is the ______ planet from the sun and is similar to Uranus in size and mass. eighth

Neptune’s orbital period is nearly 164 years, and the planet rotates about every ____ hours.

Neptune has at least _______ moons and possibly four rings. eight

Planets and their Rings Saturn Neptune Jupiter Uranus

Pluto

Pluto is the _____ “planet” from the sun. ninth

Pluto’s orbit is an unusually elongated and tilted ______. ellipse

How does Pluto compare with the other planets in terms of its size and distance from the sun? It is the smallest and farthest planet from the sun.

What is Pluto made of? Frozen methane, rock, and ice

What is Pluto made of? Frozen methane, rock, and ice

Pluto for Planethood!

Kuiper Belt

How do you pronounce “Kuiper Belt”?!

Describe the Kuiper belt. A region of the solar system that is just beyond the orbit of Neptune and that contains small bodies made mostly of ice.

Name two objects that have been found beyond Pluto. Ice/rock objects similar to Pluto but smaller

The End