Unit 2 THE PLANETS BY MRS. D FOR ELL STUDENTS

What is the Milky Way?  The Milky Way is galaxy that contains our solar system.

So what is in the Solar System?  Our Solar Systems is made up of - The Sun - 8 Planets - Dwarf Planets (Pluto is an example) - Moons - Comets - Asteroids - Dust - Gas

The Sun: Center of the Solar System  The sun is a star and is much larger than any solar system planet.  The sun produces large amounts of heat and light.  The sun is the largest object that can be seen

DANGER!!!  The sun is so bright that if you look directly at it, it can hurt your eyes and your vision!  You should never look at the sun through a telescope, binoculars or just your eyes!

Planets  There are 8 planets.  They are large, round bodies made up of either rock OR gases.  They ALL revolve around the sun.  They ALL ROTATE (spin) about an axis.  In order from the sun- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

The Inner Planets- Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Inner planets are 1. Made of rock and dense 2. Thin atmospheres 3. Small diameters 4. Few moons 5. Revolution times are short.

Mercury Smallest Planet Closest to the Sun ½ the size of the Earth.

Venus  HOT!!!!Full of Volcanoes! Lava is flowing!  Atmosphere is carbon dioxide.  Has THICK CLOUDS that surround it so it is hard to see from a telescope!!!!!!

Earth  Third planet from the sun.  Atmosphere of Nitrogen, Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide.  Abundant water – 70% is covered with water.  The water keeps the Earth at a temperature that allows life.

Mars  Red Planet – because of its red, rocky surface.  Giant DUST STORMS!!!!! And has sand dunes!  Has many Volcanoes. (Like other inner planets).

Outer Planets- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune-  They are farther from the sun  Made of gas  Are huge- large diameter!  Don’t have a solid surface  Cores are very small  Many moons and rings  COLD!!!!!

Jupiter  Largest planet in our solar system.  Big Red spot on it.  Very faint (hard to see) ring.

Saturn  Second largest planet  It’s ring is made up of ice and rock.  Has large storms! (like Jupiter)

Uranus  Huge tilt! It rotates on its side!  Seasons last for 20 years!  Deep inside, it has heated gases that burst to the surface!  Has 13 faint rings.

Neptune  Windiest planet  The winds blow a great dark spot around the planet. This great spot (the size of the Earth) is a huge storm!  9 rings

Besides Planets, there are many other bodies that orbit the sun.  Dwarf Planets  Moons  Asteroids  Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites  Comets

Dwarf Planets  Are nearly round bodies whose orbits cross the orbits of other bodies.  Pluto is a dwarf planet.

Moons  A celestial body that makes an orbit around a planet.  Earth -1  Mars- 2  Jupiter 63  Saturn- 61  Uranus -27  Neptune- 13

Asteroids  Made of rock and iron and objects that orbit the sun.  Millions of them are found in the wide region between Mars and Jupiter. This is known as the asteroid belt.

Formative Assessment  1. Which planets have a small diameter? Which planets have a large diameter?  2. Why is it difficult to see Venus using a telescope?  3.Why is the sun considered to be the center of the solar system?  4. What are the order of the planets?  5. Why is a moon NOT a planet?

–FCAT Practice  Which characteristics distinguish outer planets from inner ones?  A. The outer planets have many moons  B. The outer planets orbit in a different direction  C. The outer planets have higher densities.  D. The outer planets have smaller diameters.

Exit Ticket  Tell me three things you learned today.  Tell me one thing that you don’t understand OR want to learn more about.