Our Solar System - Planets
Outcomes for this lesson:
Have you ever wondered how big our solar system really is? How long would it take an astronaut to get to Jupiter? Can we live on other planets?
Check out the webpage for NASA for information regarding our solar system and other cool things!
A solar system refers to a star and all the objects that travel in orbit around it. Our solar system consists of the sun - our star - eight planets and their natural satellites (such as our moon); dwarf planets; asteroids and comets.
Our solar system is located in an outward spiral of the Milky Way galaxy.
We share our solar system with 8 other planets. Although it may seem like they are close to us, to get to some planets would take years, not hours or days. Crazy, right?
In this lesson we will identify all of the planets in our solar system and the unique characteristics that make up each planet.
Our own solar system is large enough to use a unit based on the distance from the Sun to the
Earth (A.U. astronomical unit about 149 million kilometres).
The Earth is one of nine planets in our solar system that orbit the Sun.
Use this file to keep "notes" as you go through the material today.
- 6.7.1 - Recognize that the Sun and stars emit the light by which they are seen and that most other bodies in space, including Earth’s Moon, planets and their moons, comets, and asteroids, are seen by reflected light.
- 6.7.9 - Recognize that the other eight known planets, which revolve around the Sun, have characteristics and surface conditions that are different from Earth; and identify examples of those differences.
- 6.7.10 - Recognize that not only Earth, but other planets, have moons; and identify examples of similarities and differences in the characteristics of those moons.
- 6.7.12 - Understand that Earth, the Sun and the Moon are part of a solar system that occupies only a tiny part of the known universe.
Have you ever wondered how big our solar system really is? How long would it take an astronaut to get to Jupiter? Can we live on other planets?
Check out the webpage for NASA for information regarding our solar system and other cool things!
A solar system refers to a star and all the objects that travel in orbit around it. Our solar system consists of the sun - our star - eight planets and their natural satellites (such as our moon); dwarf planets; asteroids and comets.
Our solar system is located in an outward spiral of the Milky Way galaxy.
We share our solar system with 8 other planets. Although it may seem like they are close to us, to get to some planets would take years, not hours or days. Crazy, right?
In this lesson we will identify all of the planets in our solar system and the unique characteristics that make up each planet.
Our own solar system is large enough to use a unit based on the distance from the Sun to the
Earth (A.U. astronomical unit about 149 million kilometres).
- To put the idea of distance into perspective, think of traveling in car at 100 km/hr.
- To get to the moon would take about 167 days
- To get to Mars it would take 26 years
- To make it to Pluto more than 5 500 years.
The Earth is one of nine planets in our solar system that orbit the Sun.
- The inner 4 planets all have a solid surface and are called "terrestrial planets".
- The next four, beyond the asteroid belt, are gas giants because not only are they much larger then the inner planets but also do not have solid surfaces.
- They are called "Jovian planets".
- The outer most planet is again a rocky planet but one that may have been captured by our solar system after it was formed.
- Pluto is considered a "dwarf planet", as it is smaller than our own Moon.
Use this file to keep "notes" as you go through the material today.
day_2_–_planets_of_the_solar_system.docx | |
File Size: | 114 kb |
File Type: | docx |
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NASA has an awesome webpage with statistics here to find more information about our solar system. Use this webpage to add in information to the worksheet.
Click here to build your own planet online and see if you are able to live in the one you create! Also, learn about what makes up a planet!