Brain Pop

People once thought the Earth was Today we know it’s shape is a

Earth’s Location Earth is located in a collection of stars called a The kind of galaxy is called a spiral galaxy and Earth is located on one of the arms. The name of the galaxy that Earth is located in is the

Solar System The Earth is the 3 rd planet of 8 planets that revolves around the sun. orbit The Earth’s orbit is the curved path it follows as it travels around the sun.

Earth’s Travels People once believed everything traveled around the Earth. rotates revolves Now we know it is the Earth that moves. It both rotates and revolves.

The spinning of the Earth on it’s axis which causes day and night is called The motion of the Earth around the sun which takes about 365 ¼ days or one year to complete is called a

Study Jams system/universe.htm

Figure the Speed-Extra Credit The moon is 240,000 miles from of the Earth and it travels around the Earth once every 27 days. How fast is it traveling?  x diameter= circumference

The Earth’s Tilt The Earth has 4 seasons. Summer, Spring, Autumn, and Winter. These seasons are caused by Earth’s

axis The Earth’s axis is the imaginary line around which the Earth spins (rotates) causing the Earth to tilt toward and away from the sun during different times of the year.

Study Jams Day and Night jams/jams/science/solar- system/day-on-earth.htm Seasons jams/jams/science/weather-and- climate/seasons.htm

The seasons depend on which side of Earth is tilted toward the sun. When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun it is summer in the north and winter in the south and vice versa.

Day vs. Night During the summer the number of hours of daylight is longer and the number of hours of darkness is shorter. During the winter it is just the opposite. Longer nights and shorter days.

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Solstices The solstices are the longest and shortest days of the year. The Summer Solstice is the longest and the winter solstice is the shortest.

Northern Hemisphere During the Summer Solstice, the Earth is tilted as far toward the Sun as possible. During the Winter Solstice, the Earth is tilted as far away from the Sun as possible.

Winter Solstice for Northern Hemisphere Summer Solstice for Southern Hemisphere

Summer Solstice for Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice for Southern Hemisphere

Equinoxes During the Equinoxes the Earth is neither pointing toward or away from the Sun. During the Spring and Fall equinox the length of day versus night is equal.

Activity (Pairs) How Far Are We Away From The Sun? Cash Register Tape Markers/Colored Pencils Scissors Book Notes Pencil Construction Paper Tape

The Inner Planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars

Why they are called the “Inner Planets” The inner planets are the four planets that lie between the Sun and the asteroid belt. Mercury Venus Earth Mars The planets that are located after the asteroid belt are called the outer planets. That makes sense, doesn’t it?

Characteristics of the Inner Planets Closest to the Sun Composed mostly of solid rock Each have a core, a mantle, and a crust Many craters of varying sizes Sometimes called the “terrestrial planets”, because of their similarities to Earth Smaller than most of the outer planets

Mercury Distance from the sun: 57,909,175 km Origin of Name: the Roman messenger of the gods Size (in diameter): 4,880 km Interesting Fact: The temperature can range from -200 C  to over 430 C  !

Venus Distance from the Sun: 108,208,930 km Origin of Name: The Roman goddess of love and beauty Size (in diameter): 12,103.6 km Interesting Fact: It is sometimes known as Earth’s “sister planet” because of their similar size, mass, volume, and density!

Earth Distance from the Sun: 149,597,890 km Origin of Name: Old English and Germanic Size (in diameter): 12,756.3 km Interesting Fact: The Earth is not perfectly round, but actually pear- shaped!

Mars Distance from the Sun: 227,936,640 km Origin of Name: the Roman god of war Size (in diameter): 6,794 km Interesting Fact: The month of March got its name from Mars!

The Inner Planets THE OUTER PLANETS

THE BIG GAS GIANTS and Pluto

The Outer Planets The Big Gas Giants

Write Outer Planets characteristics  The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.  They are called the gas giants because they have so much mass compared to the terrestrial planets, and because of that great mass, creating a stronger gravity pull, forbids the gases from escaping, forming deep atmospheres of gases.

T Write he Outer Planets characteristics  The composition of their atmosphere is similar to that of the Sun.  They are about 75% hydrogen, 24% helium, and 1% other elements.  None of the giant planets have a solid surface. The deeper the atmosphere the denser it gets.

Jupiter facts:  Jupiter is the 5 th planet from the Sun.  It is the largest planet in the solar system.  Jupiter’s diameter is 11 times that of Earth’s  Jupiter is also 300 times as massive as Earth.

Jupiter facts  Jupiter has about 17 moons. One of the moons called, Io is covered with volcanoes.

Jupiter’s atmosphere  Thick atmosphere made up of mainly hydrogen and helium.  It contains colorful bands and swirls of thick clouds.  Jupiter has a “Great Red Spot”, which a giant area of swirling clouds. It appears to be an on-going hurricane like on Earth.

Saturn’s facts  Saturn is the 6 th planet from the Sun.  This is the second largest planet in the solar system.  Saturn has beautiful rings that are visible from Earth. These rings are made up of chunks of rock and ice, each traveling in its own orbit around Saturn.

Saturn facts Saturn has moons. Its largest moon is called Titan. It is larger than Earth’s moon.

Saturn’s atmosphere  Like Jupiter, Saturn’s atmosphere is made up of mainly hydrogen and helium.  Its atmosphere is contains clouds and storms but not as dramatic as Jupiter.  Saturn is the only planet that is less dense than water. That means if we put Saturn in water, it would float!

Uranus facts  Uranus is the 7 th planet from the Sun.  It is four times the diameter of Earth.  Uranus is twice as far from the Sun as Saturn, so it is much colder.  Uranus also has moons.  Uranus is tilted about 90 o, therefore rotating from top to bottom, while the other planets rotate from side to side.

Uranus’ atmosphere  Like the other outer planets, it atmosphere is mainly hydrogen and helium  Uranus also looks bluish because of the traces of methane that is also found in Uranus’ atmosphere.

Neptune facts  Neptune is the 8 th planet from the Sun.  Discovered by a mathematical prediction.  Neptune also has moons.

Neptune Neptune is the 8 th planet.

Moon Phases The phase of the moon you see depends on how much of the sunlit side of the moon faces Earth

Moon Phases New Moon Waxing Crescent Waning Crescent Waxing Gibbous Waning Gibbous 1 st Quarter 3rd Quarter Full Moon

Moon Phases The shadow on the moon always disappears from right to left when the moon is growing. If you can see the right side of the moon, then it is growing. The moon always disappear from left to right as well. So if you can see the left side then it is getting smaller.

What phase?

When the moon grows it is said to be When the moon gets smaller it is said to be