Our Super Our Super Solar SystemSolar System

By: Kristen Dyksterhouse & Deb Colbrunn

Table of Contents• Sun• Mercury• Venus• Earth • Mars• Jupiter• Saturn• Uranus• Neptune• Pluto

• The Earth’s Moon• Motion of the Moon • Phases of the Moon

– Phases of the Moon – Video

• Seasons- Video• Water Cycle – Video• Cross-curricular Ideas• Postcard from an Alien• Postcard Template• Examples• My Place in the Universe - Template• Questions

Sun

Mercury• Mercury is very hot and dry

because it is closest to the sun.

• Some of Mercury’s craters are bigger than the whole state of Texas!

• The largest crater is Beethoven at 643 km in diameter and it is the largest in the solar system.

Venus

• Venus is wrapped in a layer of sulfur-filled clouds. These clouds keep the Sun’s heat from escaping, making it the hottest of all the planets.

• The brightest of all planets, Venus, is also known as the Morning Star and the Evening Star.

Earth

• Earth is the only planet in our solar system to have animals and plants living on it.

• Earth is the only planet that has humans (as far as we know ).

Mars• Mars has the nickname the Red Planet

because the sand on Mars is made of red iron oxide.

• Mars has the largest canyon in the solar system.

• Olympus Mons, a 550 km wide volcano, is the largest volcano in the solar system and covers an area about the size of Arizona. It is 27 km high in contrast to Mt Everest on Earth at 8.85 km.

• Scientists recently discovered water on Mars.

Jupiter

• New moons are constantly being pulled into Jupiter’s gravitational pull. There are over 60 moons.

• Jupiter is made up almost entirely of gasses and circled by faint rings of ice and dust.

• Powerful winds dominate the atmosphere causing hurricane-like storms. The Great Red Spot is a storm that is three times the size of the Earth and has been raging for over 300 years!

Saturn

• Saturn is famous for the beautiful rings that circle around it. They are made from ice, rock, and dirt.

• Saturn is made of gasses that are lighter than water. Therefore, if you could put Saturn in a tub of water, it would float!

• Saturn has 31 moons.

Uranus

• Like Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus is also a gas planet and is circled by rings.

• The faint bluish color of the planet is because the methane gas in the atmosphere absorbs red light and reflects blue light.

• Uranus has 16 moons.

Neptune

• Neptune has 13 moons; one of which is the largest moon to orbit around a planet backwards.

• Neptune is the last planet in our solar system that is made of gases. It is also surrounded by chunky rings.

• The methane gas on Neptune gives the planet its blue color because the gas absorbs red light and reflects the blue back into space.

Pluto

• Although Pluto orbits the Sun and is round, it's not a planet. That's because Pluto hasn't cleared out its orbit of material. This was the reason that the International Astronomical Union chose to demote it from planet to dwarf planet in 2006.

• Pluto has 3 moons.

The Earth’s Moon• Only 59% of the moon's surface is

visible from earth. We always see the same side and the other side is always hidden.

• The moon is the only extraterrestrial body that has ever been visited by humans. It is also the only body that has had samples taken from it.

Motion of the Moon• The moon rotates at 10 miles per hour

compared to the earth's rotation of 1000 miles per hour.

Phases of the Moon• The changing shape of the

bright part of the Moon that we see is called its phase.

• The phases of the Moon depend on its position in relation to the sun and Earth.

• As the Moon makes its way around the Earth, we see the bright parts of the Moon's surface at different angles. These are called "phases" of the Moon.

• There are eight phases.– New– Waxing Crescent– 1st Qtr– Waxing Gibbous– Full– Waning Gibbous– Last Qtr– Waning Crescent

• Click Here to See the Phases of the Moon!

Seasons

Water Cycle - Video

Cross-Curricular Ideas• Read “Postcards from Pluto” by Loreen

Leedy.

• Create an alien with construction paper and give it a name.

• Write a postcard from your alien describing the planet that you are visiting. Be creative, but factual.

• Fill in the chart “My Place in the Universe.”

Postcard from an AlienFront:• Design a colorful, detailed picture of the Alien’s Planet.• It should include FACTUAL DETAILS such as yellow gas clouds for Venus.• You may make it realistic or cartoon-like.

Back Address: • The alien is sending this postcard to you from his planet.• Write your actual address on the 3 address lines. • On the last 3 lines, write your planet, your Solar System, and your galaxy.

Stamp:• Create a small stamp design of either:

– Your planet– A spacecraft– A famous astronaut

• Include the name on the stamp, and the cost of the stamp.

Message:• Write the letter from the alien to you (use the alien’s voice for this letter).• The postcard is supposed to tell you about coming to visit on his planet. The alien should talk about

interesting places to visit, places to see, and things to do.• Be creative!• (If you are from Mercury, an activity could be playing hide and seek in the craters. On Mars, you

can ski at the Ice Cap.)

(Activity from Patti Sevakis - former co-teacher)

Message To:_____________________

Message From:___________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: (your address)_______________________________________________________________________________________

________________(your planet)________________(solar system) ________________(galaxy)

Examples

My Place in the Universe

Galaxy

____________

Planet

____________

Hemisphere

_____________

Continent

____________

Country

____________

State

_____________

County

____________

City

____________

Home Address____________________

____________________

____________________

Questions• What planet has the most moons?

• Why isn’t Pluto a planet anymore?

• Which planets could potentially support life and why do you think so?

• Which phase of the moon are we in right now?

• What does the water cycle need to work?

Phases of the Moon - Video

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