SPACE!SPACE!The first four planets…The first four planets…

Unit 14/ Day 1Unit 14/ Day 1

Terrestrial PlanetsTerrestrial Planets

The inner planets; highly dense and rocky The inner planets; highly dense and rocky planets nearest to the sun; Mercury, planets nearest to the sun; Mercury, Venus, Earth, MarsVenus, Earth, Mars

MercuryMercury

Mercury is solid and Mercury is solid and is covered with is covered with craters.craters.

Mercury has almost Mercury has almost no atmosphere.no atmosphere.

Mercury is the eighth Mercury is the eighth largest planet.largest planet.

VenusVenus

Venus is the sixth Venus is the sixth largest planet. It’s largest planet. It’s about three-fourths about three-fourths the size of earth.the size of earth.

The surface is rocky The surface is rocky and very hot. The and very hot. The atmosphere atmosphere completely hides the completely hides the surface and traps the surface and traps the heat.heat.

EarthEarth

Earth is the fifth largest planet and the third from Earth is the fifth largest planet and the third from the sun.the sun.

Liquid covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface.Liquid covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface. The Earth has one moon.The Earth has one moon.

MarsMars

Mars is the fourth Mars is the fourth planet from the sun.planet from the sun.

Mars has a thin Mars has a thin atmosphere that atmosphere that contains mostly contains mostly carbon dioxide.carbon dioxide.

Mars has two small Mars has two small moons.moons.

Our Solar SystemOur Solar System

Gas GiantsGas Giants

Day 2Day 2

Gas Giants (Jovian Planets)Gas Giants (Jovian Planets)

The outer planets; planets with deep, The outer planets; planets with deep, massive atmospheres, such as Jupiter, massive atmospheres, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or NeptuneSaturn, Uranus, or Neptune

JupiterJupiter

The largest planet in The largest planet in the solar systemthe solar system

Made mostly of Made mostly of hydrogen and heliumhydrogen and helium

Radiates more Radiates more energy out into energy out into space than it space than it receives from the receives from the sun.sun.

Jupiter’s Red SpotJupiter’s Red Spot

The Great Red Spot, The Great Red Spot, a huge storm of a huge storm of swirling gas that has swirling gas that has lasted for hundreds of lasted for hundreds of years.years.

Jupiter does not have Jupiter does not have a solid surface. The a solid surface. The planet is a ball of planet is a ball of liquid surrounded by liquid surrounded by gas.gas.

SaturnSaturn

Saturn is the second largest planet and the sixth Saturn is the second largest planet and the sixth from the sun.from the sun.

Saturn is made of materials that are lighter than Saturn is made of materials that are lighter than water. If you could fit Saturn in a lake, it would water. If you could fit Saturn in a lake, it would float!float!

Rings of SaturnRings of Saturn

Saturn’s rings are not Saturn’s rings are not solid; they are solid; they are composed of small composed of small countless particles.countless particles.

The rings are very The rings are very thin. Though they’re thin. Though they’re 250,000km or more in 250,000km or more in diameter, they’re less diameter, they’re less than one kilometer than one kilometer thick.thick.

UranusUranus

Uranus is the third Uranus is the third largest planet and the largest planet and the seventh from the sun.seventh from the sun.

Uranus is one of the Uranus is one of the giant gas planets.giant gas planets.

Uranus is blue-green Uranus is blue-green because of the because of the methane in its methane in its atmosphere.atmosphere.

NeptuneNeptune

Neptune is the fourth Neptune is the fourth largest planet and the largest planet and the eight from the sun.eight from the sun.

Because of the orbits, Because of the orbits, from 1979 to 1999, from 1979 to 1999, Neptune was the Neptune was the ninth planet.ninth planet.

Like Uranus, the Like Uranus, the methane gives methane gives Neptune its color.Neptune its color.

PlutoPluto

Down-graded from a Down-graded from a planet to a “dwarf planet to a “dwarf planet”planet”

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