This document provides definitions and brief explanations for various terms related to astronomy and the solar system. It addresses topics like the definitions of heliocentric system, planetesimals, and astronomical unit. It also summarizes characteristics of objects like the inner planets, outer planets, Jupiter, and Mars. The document lists the order of planets from the Sun and identifies Mercury as the smallest planet. Overall, the document concisely defines key terms and outlines distinguishing features of astronomical bodies in our solar system.

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2. What do the four outer planets
have in common?

3. What do the four outer planets
have in common?
They are made up mostly of gas and
they all have rings.

4. What do all of the inner planets
have in common?

5. What do all of the inner planets
have in common?
They all are small and have rocky
surfaces

6. Define : heliocentric system

7. Define : heliocentric system
A model of our solar system in which all of
the planets revolve around the sun.

8. Small bodies made of rock and
ice that became the building
blocks for the planets are called
____

9. Small bodies made of rock and ice
that became the building blocks
for the planets are called
PLANETESIMALS

10. An Astronomical Unit (AU) is
the distance between the
___________ and the _________

11. An Astronomical Unit (AU) is the
distance between the EARTH and
the SUN.

12. According to scientists, The solar
system formed from………
a giant cloud of gas and dust after the big bang.

13. In a heliocentric system, Earth
revolves around …..

14. In a heliocentric system, Earth
revolves around THE SUN
HELIOS (or Helius) was the Titan god of the sun.
He was also the guardian of oaths and the god of gift
of sight. Helios dwelt in a golden palace located in
the River Okeanos at the eastern ends of the earth.
From there he emerged each dawn driving a chariot
drawn by four, fiery winged steeds and crowned
with the aureole of the sun. When he reached the the
land of the Hesperides (Evenings) in the West he
descended into a golden cup which carried him
around the northern streams of Okeanos back to his
rising place in the East. Once his son Phaethon
attempted to drive the chariot of the sun, but losing
control, set the earth on fire. Zeus then struck him
down with a thunderbolt.

15. What does GEOCENTRIC
mean?

16. Geo= earth
centric= centered
The Geocentric
model of our solar
system ERRONEOUSLY
places the Earth at
the center of the solar
system. This was proven
to be wrong and was
replaced with the
Heliocentric model.

17. How large is the moon compared
to Earth?

18. How large is the moon compared
to Earth?
about one-fourth the diameter of
Random
99% of the
Earth time whenfact: see a picture
you
of earth it is THIS picture.
I know this because, as a
kid, my room had this
picture wallpapered on it
taking up the WHOLE
wall.
I always saw Chewbacca’s
face in the clouds.

19. What is distinctive about Jupiter?

20. What is distinctive about Jupiter?
It is the largest and most massive
planet.
Jupiter, the most massive planet in our solar system -- with dozens of
moons and an enormous magnetic field -- forms a kind of miniature
solar system. Jupiter does resemble a star in composition, but it did
not grow big enough to ignite. The planet's swirling cloud stripes are
punctuated by massive storms such as the Great Red Spot, which has
raged for hundreds of years.

21. Name the planets of our solar
system IN ORDER from the sun
outward.

22. Tricks to remember:
My Very Educated Mother Just Smacked Up Ninjas
or….
My Very Easy Method, Just Set Up Nine Planets
of course these are older as Pluto has been demoted to a dwarf planet for
not cleaning his room (orbit)
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

23. Which is the smallest planet in
our solar system?

24. Which is the smallest planet in
our solar system?
MERCURY
In
Roman mythology Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and thievery,
the Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes, the messenger of the Gods.
The planet probably received this name because it moves so quickly across the
sky.
Until 1962 it was thought that Mercury's "day" was the same length as its
"year" so as to keep that same face to the Sun much as the Moon does to the
Earth. But this was shown to be false in 1965 by doppler radar observations. It
is now known that Mercury rotates three times in two of its years.
Temperature variations on Mercury are the most extreme in the solar system
ranging from 90 K to 700 K.
Read more about Mercury l Mercury facts, pictures and information. by
nineplanets.org

25. The gas giants are composed
mainly of
____________________ and
helium.

26. The gas giants are composed
mainly of HYDROGEN and
helium.

27. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a(n)
_________________________
larger than Earth.

28. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a
STORM larger than Earth.

29. Mars’s atmosphere is mostly
_________________________.

30. Mars’s atmosphere is mostly
CARBON DIOXIDE.
ACTUAL picture of
surface of Mars from
Viking Lander 1

31. _________________________ is
the only planet that has a lower
density than water.

32. SATURN is the only planet that
has a lower density than water.

33. Why was Pluto demoted from a
planet to a dwarf planet?

34. Why was Pluto demoted from a planet
to a dwarf planet?
Because Pluto did not clean its room
(orbit)
A "planet" is a celestial body that
(a)is in orbit around the Sun,
(b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to
overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes
a hydrostatic equilibrium
(nearly round) shape, and
(c) has cleared the neighborhood around its
orbit.

35. The temperature of the moon’s
surface varies greatly from day to
night because the moon has…….

36. The temperature of the moon’s surface
varies greatly from day to night
because…
the moon has NO ATMOSPHERE

37. More stuff! Videos and whatnot.
Go ahead and click a few to learn
more!
Lunar impact
Science channel link
NASA the moon
Calculating the odds of intelligent alien life
mirrors on the moon

38. That’s all you get! If you want
more…..
Add it YOURSELF! STUDY!