Transcript A Trip to Outer Space!! By Laura Hadley Our solar system consists of the sun, nine planets (and their moons), an asteroid.

A Trip to Outer Space!!
By Laura Hadley
Our solar system consists of the sun, nine planets (and their
moons), an asteroid belt, and many comets and meteors. The sun
is the center of our solar system; the planets, their moons, the
asteroids, comets, and other rocks and gas all orbit the sun.
The Sun is the largest object in our Solar System. The sun contains 99.8% of all
mass in our solar system, with Jupiter taking up most of the rest. The Sun is 4.5
billion years old! Its estimated life is another 5 billion years! When the Sun dies,
scientists say that it will take many of the planets (including Earth!) with it. But
don’t worry, that’s not for a very long time!
The surface of the Sun, called the
photosphere, is at a temperature of about
5800 degrees Kelvin. Sunspots are "cool"
regions, only 3800 degrees Kelvin (they look
dark only by comparison with the surrounding
regions). Sunspots can be very large, as
much as 50,000 km in diameter. Sunspots
are caused by complicated and not very well
understood interactions with the Sun's
magnetic field.
Easy ways to remember the order of the planets
are the mnemonics: "My Very Excellent Mother
Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas" and "My Very Easy
Method Just Simplifies Us Naming Planets"
The first letter of each of these words represents
a planet - in the correct order.
Mercury!
Mercury is the planet closest to the
Sun.
Mercury is also the 2nd smallest planet
in our solar system!
1 Mercurian year · 88 Earth days
Mercury has the widest temperature range of any planet in the
Solar System, from a chilly -170°C at night to a sizzling
350°C during the day.
The planet has very little atmosphere, but this means the planet
has little protection against asteroids. So the surface is littered
with craters of all sizes. Which explain all the bumps and bruises
on Mercury’s surface!
Venus!
Venus is the 2nd Planet from the Sun and Earth’s closest neighbor!
1 Venusian year · 225 Earth days
With a poisonous
atmosphere of
sulfuric acid, this
planet does not
make living things
welcome!
The poisonous clouds of sulfuric acid give Venus a
thick atmosphere that creates a strong greenhouse
effect, causing temperatures to rise to a sweltering
480ºC!
Earth!
Did you know that Earth is home to 6.4 billion humans?
The Earth has a powerful magnetic field.
This, combined with the atmosphere,
shields the planet from the majority of the
harmful solar radiation. The Earth is the
only planet in our solar system that
humans can survive on! That’s why we are
here!
One Earth year: 365 days!
Two thirds of Earth are
covered by water while the
Earth's terrain is the most
varied of any planet of the
Solar System. The North
and South Poles are covered
in layers of ice and there are
extremely hot deserts near the
equator. Earth's oceans also
help to regulate the planet's
temperature. So it remains the
same temperature even when
solar conditions change.
Mars!
One Martian Year: 2.1 Earth Years
Mars is the planet closet to Earth in
temperature. A normal Martian day in a warm
season is around 27ºC, but the temperature
can change quickly and fall to a shivering
-133ºC in the winter seasons.
Mars is home to the largest volcano in the Solar System. Olympus
Mons is 17 miles high and 435 miles across! This giant volcano does not
erupt anymore, but may be the reason for the deep canyons found in
Mar’s surface.
Jupiter!
One Jovian Year: 11.9 Earth Years
Jupiter is one of the easiest planets to spot
from the Earth. Though Venus is brighter,
Jupiter is further from the Sun, so it's visible
long after the Sun and Venus have set. Other
than the Moon, it's the brightest object you can
see in the middle of the night.
Jupiter is one of the four 'gas giant' planets. Unlike
rocky worlds like the Earth, Jupiter is composed
almost entirely of gas. Inside this swirling ball of gas lies
a small core of solid rock.
Saturn!
1 Saturnian year · 29.5 Earth years
Like Jupiter, Saturn is a “gas
giant” The atmosphere, like
Jupiter’s, is mostly hydrogen
and helium, with traces of simple
compounds, that spins around
the planet.
Saturn has the most
spectacular ring system in
the Solar System. These
rings aren't solid, but made
up of billions of separate
chunks. They range from
microscopic particles to
rocks that are a few meters
in diameter.
Uranus!
1 Uranian year · 84 Earth years
The atmosphere is mostly
hydrogen and helium, with
small quantities of methane.
It's the methane that absorbs
the red light from the Sun's
ray, giving the planet its
distinct blue color.
Uranus can occasionally be
spotted with the naked eye, if you
know where to look. But it's hard as
it looks very similar to the
background of stars.
Neptune!
1 Neptunian year · 164.8 Earth years
Neptune has 11 moons!
Neptune’s atmosphere is mostly
hydrogen and helium with traces of
methane. Neptune’s weather is out
of hand! The winds can get up to
2,000km per hour!
Neptune can’t be seen from Earth
by the naked eye, even through
strong telescopes its hard to find!
Pluto!
1 Plutonian year · 248.0 Earth years
Pluto is the furthest planet from the
Sun - except for 20 years during its
248 year orbit, when it comes closer to
the Sun than Neptune. Pluto is not
visible by the naked eye from Earth,
and even some of the most powerful
telescopes have problems!
Pluto is the also the smallest planet in
the solar system, made mostly of ice! It
can get as cold as -220ºC !
Scientists are hard at work to learn more
about our wonderful universe. As of right
now, Earth is the only planet that can
sustain life. There will always be more to
discover and explore. Perhaps you will be
the one to find something new, so always
watch the night sky!
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