Compare Sun, Earth and Moon Characteristics

Sun Earth And Moon Research Paper
We can identify and compare the physical characteristics of the Sun, Earth, and Moon, such as
surface, temperature, geological features, composition, and size.
Advise students to look for data that shows what these celestial bodies have in common, and how
they are different. Using library books, the Internet, and other research resources, students will need
to sort information into agreed upon categories as individuals, partners, or teams. Make sure that
book copyrights are recent and that websites are authentic science resources so that students acquire
valid and up–to–date information.
The Sun is an average yellow star at the center of our solar system composed of glowing hydrogen
and helium gases. 109 Earths could fit across the diameter of the Sun, while the volume of the Sun
could hold 1,000,000 Earths inside. The Sun's enormous mass creates enough gravity to pull in
orbit the classic and dwarf planets, their assorted moons and rings, asteroids, meteoroids, and
thousands of tiny frozen worlds. The Sun's mass also creates tremendous heat and pressure in its
core causing the hydrogen to fuse into helium which gives off heat and light energy (which only
stars can do). The Sun also has a huge magnetic field which gets twisted in places on the surface
where the gases are not as hot causing temporary large marks called sunspots. Often these twisted
...show more content...
Earth is 93,000,000 miles from the Sun, which is just the right distance to make Earth the only
body in the Solar System that has water in three forms: as solid ice, mainly at polar regions; as
liquid water in streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans that cover three–fourths of Earth's surface;
and as a gas (water vapor) in our atmosphere. The Moon may have a small amount of frozen water
at the poles, but the Sun is too hot for water to
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Solar Power Essay example
Solar Power
All life on Earth depends on energy from the sun. Solar energy is the source of energy for
photosynthesis. It provides the warmth necessary for plants and animals to survive. The heat from
the sun causes water on the Earth's surface to evaporate and form clouds that eventually provide
fresh rainwater.
Solar energy is the result of thermonuclear fusion reactions deep within the sun. These reactions
produce so much energy that they keep the surface temperature of the sun at about 10,300B0F. Even
though solar energy is the largest source of energy received by the Earth, its intensity at the Earth's
surface is actually very low due to the large distance between the Earth and the sun and the fact that
the Earth's atmosphere...show more content...
Because the intensity of the sun's radiation at the surface of the Earth is so low, collectors designed to
capture solar energy must be large.
In the sunniest parts of the continental United States, for example, in order for a collector to gather
enough energy to serve one person for one day, the area of the collector's surface must be about 430
square feet. The actual energy that can be used depends on the efficiency of the collector and of the
device that converts the radiation into usable energy.
Flat–plate collectors. The most common flat–plate collectors consist of a dark metal plate, covered
with one or two sheets of glass, that absorbs heat. The heat is transferred to air or water, called
carrier fluids, that flows past the back of the plate. This heat may be used directly or it may be
transferred to another medium. Flat–plate collectors are used for home and hot–water heating.
Flat–plate collectors typically heat carrier fluids to temperatures ranging from 150B0 to 200B0F.
The efficiency of such collectors varies from 20 to 80 percent.
Concentrating collectors. When higher temperatures are required, a concentrating collector is used.
These collectors reflect and concentrate sunlight from a wide area.
One such device, called a solar furnace, was installed in the Pyrenees in France and has several
acres of mirrors focused on a single target. The energy concentrated at

Planets and Solar System Essay example
Planets and Solar System
"A planet is a celestial body that revolves around a central star and does not shine by its own light
" (Grolier, 1992). The only planetary system that is known to man is our solar system. It is made up
of nine planets which range in size and make–up. The nine major planets in our solar system are
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. There are also many other
minor planets which are also in our solar system, but they are unimportant compared to the nine
major planets. In this paper I will discuss the planets and how they are each unique.
Mercury which is the planet that is closest to the sun is the first planet I will discuss. Mercury is the
smallest of the inner...show more content...
It is called this because it closely resembles the Earth's mass, density and diameter. The only thing
different is that Venus " is shrouded in thick clouds that completely hide the surface of the planet "
(Grolier, 1992). The surface temperature is also much warmer than that of Earth.
Venus completes one revolution around the sun in 224.7 days.
This makes the Venusian day equal to 117 earth days. It is thought that this slowrotation may be the
reason why Venus has no magnetic field.
The atmosphere of Venus made up of 98% carbon dioxide and 2% Nitrogen. This atmosphere also
has the presence of helium, neon and argon. This is yet another thing which makes Venus different
from Earth.
The surface of Venus is quite a bit like that of the Earth.
The surface has volcanoes and smooth plains. " Much of the volcanic activity on Venus takes the
form of Basaltic eruptions that inundate large ares, much as the mare volcanism flooded the
impacted basins on the near side of the moon " (Morrison, 93,
1993). One thing that differs from Earth is that there is no water liquid on the Venusian surface.
Some of the scientific data that follows was taken out of Cattermole's book. The mean distance from
the sun is 108.20 Km.
The equatorial diameter is 12,012 Km and the equatorial rotation is 243 days. Finally the mass of
Venus is 4.87*10^24 (Cattermole, 63, 1993). Venus, although different than Earth, is still our sister
planet.
Mars is

Saturn Essay
Saturn
Saturn is one of the most interesting planets in the solar system. It is the sixth planet in the solar
system, and is most famous for its stunning array of rings. It is a very easy planet to pick out in
the sky because it is one of the brightest lights in the shy. It also has a very faint greenish color that
makes it stand out from the rest of the objects in the sky ("Astronomy for Kids"). Saturn is the second
largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter being the only planet that is bigger. It also has at least
eighteen moons, more than any other planet in the solar system. There have been three voyages to
this extraordinary planet, and one is still in process today. The Pioneer II traveled to Saturn in
September of 1979,...show more content...
Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system. Jupiter is the only planet that is larger. The
gas giant is 72 thousand miles in diameter, almost ten times the size of Earth. In spite of its huge
size, though, Saturn weighs very little. It is a very light gas planet. Saturn is the least dense planet in
the solar system–– so light, in fact, that it would float in water. This planet is mostly composed of
hydrogen and helium, like Jupiter, but it is much less dense. The combination of its light weight
and fast rotation causes Saturn to spread out, or oblate, its center. Since Saturn is a gas planet, it
does not have a solid surface. Spacecraft are unable to land on this type of surface. The clouds that
are seen when looking at Saturn are just the top layer of a very deep layer that covers a center of
liquid hydrogen. The clouds are blown by constant winds that reach speeds up to one thousand miles
per hour at the equator of the planet ("Great Space Place").
The rings of Saturn are more spectacular than those of any other planet. Although this planet's
rings are very wide, extending from the top of its atmosphere to well beyond the orbits of its
closest moons, they are very thin, measuring no more than a few kilometers (about a mile) in
thickness ("Great Space Place"). The Pioneer 11 flyby made several discoveries about the rings. The
rings are made of

Moving Through The Solar System Analysis
The article called "Moving Through the Solar System: Using Movement Activities to Learn about
the Solar System" by Donna Shaw and Bonnie Nygard is about getting students engaged in their
learning by adding movement to activities in the classroom. This article supports physical encoding
which is "the learning process which uses the physical body to transfer information from the abstract
or symbolic level to a more concrete level". The article describes 7 activities that teaches students
about the solar system. Each activities involves some sort of movement and the steps/material to
implement it in the classroom. 1st activity is a KWL chart where the students help fill out and at the
end they talk about the key terms and create movements that go along with the definitions to help
them remember. The next is a research team where students break up into groups and...show more
content...
The third is solar system charades where they students act out there research topic and the students
have to guess which one they researched (they can use props). The other activities consist of a
backpack gravity which helps them understand the weight on each planet, a planet walk which helps
them understand the distance of the planets, and solar system play or rap, where the students play a
song or readers theatre to help the students memorize facts about each planet (they can use hand
gestures).
I enjoyed reading this article because it gave great examples how to teach about solar systems in
the classroom. My favorite activities that I would incorporate into my own classroom is KWL
chart and the Solar System Play or Rap. I would love to use the KWL to introduce the subject and
see what the students already know and

Solar System Thesis
This is a video about our solar system created by me! I used the app Educreations on my iPad to
create this video. I was able to upload an image, draw all over it and use my voice to teach you a
little about our solar system. In this video I discussed what makes up our solar system, a little
information about our sun, terrestrial and gas giant planets and a few more interesting facts. This
app is an awesome tool! It was so easy to use even student could use it and teach lessons to the class
or each other. I definitely see myself using this as a teaching aid in my future classrooms!
The following apps are ones that I have evaluated and decided are app that are useful for the class
room. I also created a Prezi presentation to highlight the purpose of the app.
1. iBiome Wetland– This app allows students to create their own wetland ecosystems. The app
challenges...show more content...
The Human Body – This app allows children to explore what makes up the human body. From
bones, organs, and body systems students are able to dive deep into the body and learn about what
makes it work. This app will be a great science tool to use. This can be used to teach students about
the body systems like digestion, respiration, cardiovascular and what makes the body work.
3. Space by Tinybop– This app allows students to blast off into space and explore our solar system.
Students can visit each plant and see what makes up the planet, its surface, what weather effects the
planet and so much more. This app is a great science tool to use in the classroom. It can be used to
teach student about outer space and even our own planet. Students are able to explore the layers of
the earth and how it interacts in our solar system.
4. Story Patch – This app teaches students about story structure and how they flow. Students can
create their own story books and by using built in characters, themes, and illustrations. This app is a
great literacy tool to use in the classroom to foster creativity and

Our Solar System
oIdentify and describe the components and structure of our Solar System. Include important facts
and figures.
пѓ Sun– It is an average start. It has around 50 degrees Celsius. It takes 8 minutes to look at the
sun. You can fit 1.3 million Earth inside the Sun's shell. The diameter of the Sun is 1,392,000km.
пѓ Moon (Luna) – The moon was formed 4.6 billion years ago, much later than the Solar System.
The first moon landed was in 1969 by the USA. The first man stepped on the moon was in 1972.
пѓ Mercury– It is the smallest planet in the Solar System and the closest planet to the Sun. The
temperature range is –183 degrees Celsius to 407 degrees Celsius. It is the 2nd densest planet. The
diameter of Mercury is 4,853km and the distance from the Sun...show more content...
They are objects made from rocks and metals that orbit the Sun but are too small to be considered as
a planet.
пѓ Comets– Comet is a relatively small, at times active, object whose ices can vaporise in sunlight
forming an atmosphere of dust.
oDescribe the structure of the Universe, including the major objects that it contains. o Describe the
Big Bang and how it has led to the formation of the Universe.
пѓ The Big Bang theory is outlining the early development of the current Universe.
пѓ The Universe was hot and dense at the time so it started to expand very quickly.
пѓ The Universe has cooled sufficiently so it allows energy to be converted into various subatomic
particles which include protons, neutrons and electron.
пѓ The Big Bang theory is based on observations where new observations that the theory has to be
adapted.
пѓ The Big Bang theory does not explain how the Universe began it just describes the conditions of
the Universe in its early stages.
пѓ We all can assume that matter and energy that exists in this Universe now and during the Big
Bang existed before the Big Bang so it is just impossible for us to describe in what state it existed.
пѓ The Big Bang happened approximately 14 billion years

The Formation of Solar System Essay
[Type the document title]| The formation of solar systems| | This paper concludes some scientific
explanation of how the universe was created.| | | 8/1/2011| |
SCI224 Fundamentals of Astronomy
Final Paper
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Instructor: William McMullen, Ph.D.
Name: Johanne Val
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Due Date: 8/1/11–Revised Copy
For your final paper, pick of the three topics below. 1. The formation of solar systems
What is the current scientific explanation of how your topic evolved into its current state?
Scientific observations of the formation of solar systems have been concluded that the universe has
many different types of...show more content...
First generation stars were massive and very hot. They did not contain heavy elements therefore
they die faster than population II stars. Only population I stars would have formed in stellar nebulas
that contained dust of dying population stars III, II and the population I stars. These population I
stars have the coolest, smallest and the most lived stars. They were the only stars to have thought to
be capable of having a solar system. Our solar system and the sun came from population I stars.
The basic structure of our solar system consist of the Sun is in it center with many rocky planets in
the inner parts which are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The Asteroids belt seats between Mars
and Jupiter and left over dust and rocky materials that did not evolved into planets. The outer solar
system has giant gas planets from Jupiter, Saturn, to Uranus and Neptune which has formed out of
left over gas of the stellar nebulae. The Kuiper belt sometimes called The Edgeworth Kuiper–Belt
was discovered in 1992. The Kuiper Belt is region of the solar system beyond the planets and outside
of Neptune is made of icy objects. However, it was created roughly 4.5 billions of years ago. Pluto is
the largest known member of the Kuiper Belt planets and it was reclassified to be a dwarf planet
Who were some of the major

Solar System Research Paper
Roughly 5 billion years ago, our solar system no sun. Instead all that exists in our solar system
today, used to form a gigantic gas cloud, floating in the milky way away from the center of the
universe. Something traveling from the center of the universe faster than our gas cloud of a system
collided with our "solar system" this caused a fission reaction, creating a focal point that "sucked" in
all the lightest of elements in our solar system, Mostly Hydrogen I'd assume*. This is how our sun
was created and like an implosion, the heat of this reaction, boiled the gasses, and the force of the
object that passed through our "cloud" created energy and momentum. The combination of heat, and
movement, caused particles to collide, and bond together,...show more content...
It was about 65 thousand years ago, that titans first set foot on planet earth. They immediatly
sought out, and enslaved the new species of humanoids that evolved from the minerals of Gaia and
PanGaia combined. The slaves of the titans, were the people of Atlantis. The titans struggled to
survive on Earth, the intense gravity difference between earth and mars is the main reason that
titans could not reproduce on earth. The failed reduction of the Titans on earth created fear of
extinction for the titans and caused great unrest on the planet mars. Mars was overpopulated and
self destructive. There was a point in time, when Mars had such a sever war, that the people of
mars destroyed their own home planet, and suddenly within the course of a few days, there was but
a handful of their species remaining, both in space and on planet earth. It was the destruction of
mars, that prompted genetic diversity. The titans alive on earth, were in such fear of extinction *or
just lonely?* that they began to splice their DNA with that of the people of

Essay On New Solar System
In this article, it states that 39 light–years away from Earth, there is a belief that science has found a
new solar system. That very solar system is special since it has seven planets that are very alike to
our Earth. With the terrain being rocky and warm enough that it could support life on it. This
discovery is the first time people have ever found that out that there are rocky planets that are
orbiting a single star. Before we have the technology we have today, the only terrestrial planets we
knew of being four planets. And we didn't even know much about our solar system, other than our
planet and some a few others, but as we reach a new age in our world so many other windows are
opening to us as a society.
According to the...show more content...
Also in paragraph three, it states that "Last May, the scientists published that they had discovered
three rocky bodies orbiting the star. They named them TRAPPIST–в‚Ѓb, –в‚Ѓc and –в‚Ѓd. Later,
Gilion realized that the dip in brightness he thought came from в‚Ѓd was actually caused by three
planets all crossing at the same time." They eventually realized that there were actually seven
planets. The quote explains that all former three planets were orbiting their own star, which were
caused in a dip of brightness that caused the planets to cross at the same time. All TRAPPIST
planets orbit the same star, the line on which they orbit all move at the same times. They reach
each starting point at the same time which is not really like other planets we have ever heard of
before, mainly because the all of the planets in our solar system all move at their own speed.
Including information comes from 'Planets Are Close Enough For Atmospheric Studies."
Information for this comes from paragraph one, it states that "For years, scientists have found
evidence that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is full of Earth–like planets. However, the TRAPPIST–в‚Ѓ
researchers say this solar system is our best target yet to search for life outside of Earth." This quote
explains that for much of our life we only

Lab Report On Solar System
Kimberly Greene
Dr. Newton
Astronomy 1000–Section A
August 29, 2017
Lab Report 1–The Solar System During our first lab in Astronomy, we got to develop and perform a
hands–on experiment of the overall scale of our Solar System. We got to physically interact by
demonstrating and constructing a model of our Solar System by using a simple tool such as toilet
paper. Who knew? We used the toilet paper shown in the pictures as a visual representation to
illustrate the overall scale of the Solar System, to show the distance between each individual planet,
and to represent the distances of each planet from the Sun. We physically counted out each piece or
sheet of toilet paper to reach the destination of which the next or neighboring planet was from its
neighboring planet. We started with the Sun, then Mercury, Venus, Earth,Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, until we finally reached our final planet, Neptune. We drew dots to represent each planet.
In our lab activity, we created and demonstrated a relative scale model to show how the planets are
aligned and the distance between each of them. We created this model, so that we could better
understand the overall sizes of each planet and the distances of each of the planets from the Sun.
First, we used the model distance formula, which is model distance=0.25 inches/1,391,900 km *
actual distance in km. We used this formula to calculate the distance in which each planet lies from
the Sun. We found the overall scale distance of each planet

Astronomy Essay
One thing us as humans have never been able to fully understand is astronomy. Always having an
unexplained mystery, astronomy also has served as a way to keep time and predict the future. The
word "astronomy" is defined as the study of heavenly bodies, meaning anything in the sky such as
stars, galaxies, comets, planets, nebulae, and so on. Many people, if not everyone, is amazed by the
night sky on a clear, moonless night.
Astronomy dates back to ancient times when peoples such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, and
Chinese kept written records of astronomical events and occurrences. Today's seven day week
originates from the Babylonians' seven important bodies in the night sky: the Sun, Moon, Mars,
Mercury,...show more content...
A wide array of instruments is used to observe heavenly bodies today. These instruments include
optical telescopes which are used to magnify objects that emit visible light. Some celestial bodies
are very difficult or impossible to see with optical telescopes. To see these, we use radio, X–ray,
ultraviolet, or infrared instruments. An advantage of radio astronomy is the fact that radio waves
aren't stopped by the sun or clouds, therefore the stars can be observed at any time.
Our own solar system today is thought to have formed from a large, single cloud of dust and gas.
The center of the cloud became dense enough and created enough energy from contraction to spark a
nuclear reaction, forming the Sun. The remaining dust and ice in the cloud formed into the nine
planets we know of today. Other objects within the solar system include comets, asteroids,
meteorites, interplanetary dust and plasma.
Any star that we can see belongs to our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Stars do not exist outside of
galaxies in empty space, rather in galaxies which are groups of billions of stars orbiting the center of
the galaxy (Fradin 140). Every star has a color ranging from red to blue–white. These colors tell us
many things about each star. Also, a star's

Solar System Research Paper
The Solar System that I have chosen to create is a very large solar system. The star is a very gas
oriented one that produces light just like our sun does. The density of my star happens to be
somewhat light.There are two planets that have been made so that people that can live on. These
two plants are the 3rd and 4th planets in my solar system.The first planet that is made for civilization
is called planet grengion. It is the size of earth. The second planet is a little bigger than the first
planet but it still can have civilization on it. This planet's name is Derigon. In the solar system that
I have created there is a gas giant. There are also two rocky planets. There are my 5th and 6th
planets that are in my solar system.There is rainbow

Essay about Solar System
Solar System
Humans live on a small planet in a tiny part of a vast universe. This part of the universe is called
the solar system, and is dominated by a single brilliant star–the sun. The solar system is the earth's
neighbourhood and the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
are the Earth's neighbours. They all have the same stars in the sky and orbit the same sun.
Scientists believe the solar system began about 5 billion years ago, perhaps when a nearby star
exploded and caused a large cloud of dust and gas to collapse in on itself. The hot, central part of
the cloud became the sun, while some smaller pieces formed around it and became the planets. Other
fragments became asteroids and comets,...show more content...
Future manned expeditions could melt the ice into water, for drinking, washing and turning into
rocket–fuel: there is enough ice to make a lake 10km across and 10m deep.
Earth
If you approached the Solar System from space, one planet would stand out as very odd. The third
world from the sun is brightly coloured, in shades of mainly blue, with patches of red and green, and
constantly shifting patterns of white cloud. And it has an unusually large moon; which–by contrast–
is dull and uniformly brown.
The perfect planet
Come closer, and you find blue is liquid water. This is the only rocky planet with water. Test the
atmosphere, and again this planet is unique: the air contains a lot of reactive gas oxygen. And
finally, take a closer look at the green areas. Here there is ample vegetation and animal life. This is
the only planet in the solar system obviously inhabited life forms.
The earth is special mainly because it is located at the perfect distance from the sun. The
temperature here is just right for water to exist as a liquid: get in as close Venus and the water just
boils away as steam, while as far out as the orbit of Mars water is frozen to ice.
Soon after the birth of earth, it was a very different place from the one we know today.
Its "air" was made of the unbreathable and

Solar System: Chapter Analysis
The second chapter in increasing complexity explains the solar system, and our very own earth.
My project is a painting of all the planets in our solar system with the sun in the center of it all. In
the days where there was no separation of religion, and state, it was thought that the earth was in the
middle of it all. This "truth" was then challenged by people like Ptolemy, and later confirmed using
new science, and technology like Galileo's telescope. Each planet orbits around the sun; in the order
of Mercury, Venus,Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. This order took billions of years
to create, with each planet being formed by the most perfect circumstances.

Solar System Lab Review
Is this something you can see doing with a middle school class, why or why not? After reading the
Solar System Lab Review, I believe this is something that I can use with a middle school class. This
lab activity activates prior knowledge while using inquiry based group projects to get the students
involved in the learning process.
Is there anything you might add to make it more age appropriate?
There are several things I would do to make this lab activity more age appropriate for middle school
students. In the engaging question section, I would eliminate The Magic School Bus Lost in Space.
Instead the students would read Planet Hunters by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein, which is more age
appropriate. I would also add a video for the students to watch http://video.nationalgeographic.com
/video/101–videos/solar–system–sci Next, I would eliminate the chanting in the exploration section
of the lab because I don't feel it is age appropriate. Instead I would have the students work in groups
of three and write a poem. The students could also make phrases containing things they like that
would help them remember key facts about the planets. Finally, in the evaluation section I would add
a facts worksheet for the students to answer, while working individually.
What specific parts of the lab do you think your students...show more content...
Having the students work in small groups creating poems and phrases about the solar system would
help them remember key or important facts. This activity would also increase individual student
learning as the group shares their knowledge and facts about the solar system. The postcard activity
in the expansion section would give students a chance to use their imaginations while including facts
about the planet that they went to visit. Finally, the evaluation section will encourage the students to
recall all the knowledge they learned throughout the

jupiter Essay
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and by far the largest mass object in the solar system of all
the other planets. Jupiter is twice the size of all the other planets combined. It is as 318 times the
sizes of earth. The distance that Jupiter orbits the sun is 778,330,000 km (Gallant pp154). The
diameter is 142,984 km and the mass that it has is 1.900e27 kg. Jupiter is the fourth brightest object
in the sky after the Sun, the Moon and Venus. Mars is some times brighter. Galileo discovered
Jupiter in 1610(Gallant); another interesting fact is that Jupiter has 4 large moons. Which are known
as the Galilean moons. They were named Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The first mission that
went to Jupiter was Pioneer 10 in 1973 and later...show more content...
The knowledge of what the inner core is made up is still and will remain unknown until we can
create a satellite that can make into the atmosphere of Jupiter and the other gas planets. Jupiter's
atmosphere was also found to be quite turbulent. It is also know that Jupiter spins faster than any
other planet. This indicates that Jupiter's winds are driven in large part by its internal heat rather
than from solar input as on Earth. The vivid colors seen in Jupiter's clouds are probably the result
of subtle chemical reactions of the trace elements in Jupiter's atmosphere, perhaps involving
sulfur whose compounds take on a wide variety of colors, but the details are unknown. The colors
correlate with the cloud's altitude: blue lowest, followed by browns and whites, with reds highest.
Sometimes we see the lower layers through holes in the upper ones. Then we have the Great Red
Spot that everyone can identify as Jupiter. This reddish color of the "Great Red Spot" is a puzzle
to scientist, but several chemicals, including phosphorus, have been proposed as a reason. In fact,
the color and mechanisms driving the appearance of the entire atmosphere are still not well
understood. This spot has been seen by Earthly observers for more than 300 years. Robert Hooke
discovered it in the 17th century. The GRS is an oval about 12,000 by 25,000 km, big enough to
hold two Earths. Another interesting feature about Jupiter is that it

Solar System Misconceptions
Misconceptions of the Solar System In our research we have found that students who are in grades
6th through 8th and below find themselves believing in the misconception that our solar system is
only made up of the sun, as well as eight planets. The California Science Standards state that, "The
solar system consists of the sun and the collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and
asteroids that are held around the sun by its gravitational pull." (NGSS, 2017). When a teacher is
applying the California science standards to their students they have to keep in mind that not every
student has the same learning style. Every individual student has a different learning style, like
kinesthetic, visual, and auditory to help them best learn in school. The misconception of the solar
system is being reinforced through california's science standards and teaching techniques but it
doesn't have too. In science it is common for 6th through 8th grade students to develop
misconceptions on the solar system. During a child's middle school years they learn about the sky,
the sun, the moon, the stars, and the planets. Once a child has been in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade they
have learned how to gather information and draw conclusions. The reason that 6th through 8th
graders may believe that you can only find the sun and eight planets in our solar system is because
that is what is insisted on being taught during those 3 years of education. In the scholastic article they
mention that

The Solar System Essay
Our solar system was born when, in a spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy, a giant rotating cloud of
dust and gasses began to collapse. Gravity compressed the dust and gasses and the cloud got
increasingly hotter and began to spin faster. During the following one hundred million years, the
gasses compressed until the center was so hot that nuclear fusion occurred giving off tremendous
energy, combining charged atoms of hydrogen to form helium. This process gave birth to a star, our
Sun (Our Solar System, n.d.). Scientists have a good deal of data documenting the solar system's
history for about the last 3.9 billion years, but it was actually formed approximately 4.6 million
years ago. The first 700 million years are somewhat of a...show more content...
After the invention of the telescope, three more planets in the solar system were discovered: Uranus,
Neptune, and Pluto. However, in 2006 Pluto's classification was changed to dwarf planet (Our Solar
System, n.d.). The eighth planet is, of course, Earth. In addition, there are 165 moons gravitationally
attached to the eight planets; three dwarf planets, Pluto, Eris, and Ceres, and their four moons; and
billions of other small bodies (Solar System, n.d.). Mercury, Venus, Earth, andMars are the inner
planets and are called terrestrial (meaning earth from the Latin terra) planets because of their
similarities to Earth. The outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are Jovian planets
and are so called because of their resemblance to Jupiter. Jovian planets have gaseous outer layers.
The planet closest to the Sun is Mercury and is a small planet with a rocky surface. Mercury's
diameter is 4,880 kilometers or 3,032 miles. Because its orbit around the Sun is oval shaped, its
distance from the Sun ranges from 45.9 million kilometers (28.5 million miles) to 69.7 million
kilometers (43.3 million miles) and takes 88 days to complete its orbit. Mercury has no

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