This document provides information about the sun and the solar system. It states that the sun is actually a star that generates energy through nuclear fusion. It also describes the eight planets, distinguishing the terrestrial planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars from the larger gaseous Jovian planets. Additionally, it defines asteroids, comets and meteors, noting that meteors are also known as shooting stars.

1. Kylaina Ping January 27, 2010

2. The Sun The Planets Asteroids, Comets, & Meteors Conclusion Bibliography

3. The sun is actually considered a star. It contains very hot gas. Its place is at the center of our universe. It is also the largest thing in the solar system.

4. The sun gets its energy by a process called nuclear fusion . The average temperature of the surface of the sun is 5800 K. The dark spots on the sun are called sunspots . They are cooler in temperature at 3800 K.

5. Fill in the blank: The sun gets its energy by a process called _________. A. Nuclear Fusion B. Corona Fusion C. Photosphere Fission D. Energy Gathering

7. Incorrect! The sun gets its energy by a process called nuclear fusion.

8. There are eight planets in the solar system. All of the planets orbit the sun. The planets are as followed: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

9. The Terrestrial planets are made up mostly of rock. They are also smaller in size than the Jovian planets. They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The Jovian planets are much larger than the terrestrial planets. They are made of mostly gases. They are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

10. Which of the following planets is Saturn?

12. Incorrect! The correct choice is ‘B.’ Saturn is the planet with the largest rings.

13. Asteroids are the largest rocks found floating in space. They are found in the asteroid belt right outside of Jupiter. Meteors are the fastest moving of space rocks. They are tiny pieces of rocks that burn up as they move through Earth’s atmosphere. They are also known as shooting stars.

14. Comets are small bodies of leftover star material that did not originally get used in the solar system. They are frozen and followed by a long tail of gases that glow from the sun’s light reflecting off of it. They travel around the sun.

16. I always like making PowerPoint presentations. It is actually something that I really enjoy. I especially enjoy getting the opportunity to make a non-linear presentation. This is not the first time I have made one, but I always enjoy the practice! One “a-ha” moment that I had while making the presentation was I had never really thought about all of the possibilities there are using PowerPoint to teach my future students. A second one that I had was teaching students to use PowerPoint. It expands the mind and uses creativity! The third “a-ha” moment that I had while making this presentation was using Microsoft Office 2007. This is the first time I have made a PowerPoint presentation on Microsoft Office 2007. It was strange getting to know where all of the buttons were located, but I figured it out and now I feel confident using it!

18. Incorrect! The correct choice is ‘C.’ A meteor is also known as a shooting star.

19. Darling, D. (n.d.). Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids. Retrieved January 26, 2010, from Children’s Encyclopedia website: http://www.daviddarling.info/childrens_encyclopedia/comets_contents. html Russell, R. (August, 29, 2009). The Sun. Retrieved January 26, 2010, from Windows to the Universe website: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/sun/sun.html The Planets. (n.d.) . Retrieved January 26, 2010, from Enchanted Learning website: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/ The Sun. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2010, from Nine Planets website: http://nineplanets.org/sol.html The Terrestrial Planets. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2010, from The Planetary Society website: http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/compare_the_planets/ terrestrial.html