The document provides an overview of the solar system, including the sun, inner planets, asteroid belt, outer planets, and comets. It describes key features of each, such as the inner planets being smaller and rockier, while the outer planets are larger and made of gas. It also notes Earth is the only planet that supports life and has liquid water. The asteroid belt is located between Mars and Jupiter, and comets are icy objects that orbit far from the sun but sometimes enter the inner solar system.

1. Touring Our Solar System Interactive Power Point Project Erin Lewis ED 205-05

2. The Outer Planets The Asteroid Belt Comets The Sun Planet Earth The Inner Planets Our Solar System

3. The Solar System Our solar system is about 4.5 billion years old It has one star, (our Sun) and eight planets

4. The Sun The Sun is one of about 200,000 million stars in our Galaxy! It creates light and heat through nuclear fusion

5. The Inner Planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars The four “Inner” Planets of our solar system are made of mostly rock and metal They are also much smaller in size and mass compared to the “Outer” Planets

6. Mercury Closest Planet to our Sun Smallest Planet in solar system No Moons

7. Venus Second closest planet to Sun Closest in size to Earth Heavy atmosphere of Carbon Dioxide No moons

8. Planet Earth Earth is the only planet in our solar system that has liquid water and a breathable atmosphere Over 70% of Earth is covered by water Earth is the only planet in our solar system that can sustain life

9. Mars Fourth planet from the Sun Often called the “red planet” due to its red (rusty) soil Two moons – Phoebos and Deimos Been visited by three Earth “Rovers”

10. The Asteroid Belt The asteroid belt is located between Mars and Jupiter It consists of rocky bodies that range in size between boulders and small moons It’s believed that this “belt” may once have been a planet that collided with another very large body in space, and broke into millions of pieces

11. The Outer Planets Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune * Pluto The Four “Outer” Planets of our solar system are made of gases, such as methane and hydrogen They are much larger in size and mass than the “Inner” Planets

12. Jupiter Largest planet in solar system Fifth planet from the Sun Known for its Giant Red Spot, a huge hurricane type storm in atmosphere Has over 25 moons

13. Saturn Sixth planet from the Sun Known for its massive system of “rings”, made of ice and rock particles Has at least 16 moons

14. Uranus This bluish planet is made of mostly methane gas Like, Saturn, it also has a distinctive ring system It is the only planet that rotates flopped over on its side

15. Neptune This gigantic planet also has a storm raging on its surface, just like Jupiter. It’s called “the great blue spot”.

16. Pluto In 2006, astronomers decided that Pluto, by definition, is no longer a planet. It is considered a “protoplanet”, or dwarf planet, due to its small size and strange orbit. Pluto has one moon; Charon

17. Comets Comets are like “dirty snowballs”. They are made of mostly ice and and rock They usually orbit the Sun at great distances; much further out than even Pluto! Sometimes, a comet is knocked out of this distant orbit. As it approaches the Sun, its ice begins to melt and forms its characteristic tail

18. Author’s Biography My name is Erin Lewis, and I’m a senior at GVSU. My major is Group Social Studies, secondary education, with a minor in Earth/Space science. This slide show represents a virtual tour of our solar system and its eight planets. For more information, please contact Erin Lewis by email at [email_address] .

19. Resources photos of planets - www.live.com Martian rover image - www.photoshopsupport.com/resources/stock-photos/ Video – “Formation of Comets in the Earliest Solar System” – http:// search.discoveryeducation.com /

20. Concept Map