The Solar System

1. The Solar System Third Grade Lesson Jane Kelly

2. The Sun • The sun is the largest object in the solar system • The sun is a star and is made up of Hydrogen converting to Helium • The suns sends electromagnetic waves and it comes to the Earth in the form of Radiation • The sun is the giver of life by providing energy that plants convert into food.

3. Mercury • The nearest planet to the sun • Goes around the sun in 88 days and is 36 million miles from the sun. • Second smallest planet with the fastest orbit. • Not suitable for life, too hot !!!

4. Venus • Second planet closest to the Sun. • Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. • Venus is Earths sister planet and the surface reaches temperatures of 900 degrees because of the heavy carbon dioxide. • Venus because of heavy Carbon Dioxide is hotter than Mercury. • Venus rotates east to west, opposite Earth • One day on Venus is equal to 243 Earth days.

5. Earth • Third planet from the Sun, fifth largest in the Solar System • Earth is located 93 million miles away from the Sun allowing complex but livable temperatures. • Atmosphere consists of 78 % Nitrogen, 21 % oxygen, and 1% of other constitutes. • Our atmosphere protects us from foreign objects.

6. Mars • Fourth planet from the sun • Mars is the God of War because of its red color, also known as the Red Planet. • Mars orbit is significantly elliptical • Mars has an average temperature between -67 degrees and 80 degrees farenheit. • Mars is much smaller than Earth, but has similar land surface. • Mars shows evidence of erosion, so at some point there could have been water.

7. JUPITER Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system Its composition is more like that of stars. Jupiter is almost entirely gas and liquid Jupiter has four moons. Jupiter has an internal energy source and enormous magnetic fields For more information on Jupiter: http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/jupiter.html

8. Saturn • The sixth planet from the Sun • Made of gases and is lighter than water. Saturn would float if it was placed on water. • Second largest planet in the solar system • Known for prominent rings made from ice and dust particles and rock debris • Swirling winds in atmosphere reach speeds up to 1000 miles per hour • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_(Planet)

9. Uranus • Seventh planet from the Sun • Third largest planet in our solar system • Gaseous planet and will float on water • One orbit around Sun takes 84 Earth years • Blue-Green in color from methane gas in upper atmosphere

10. Neptune • Eighth planet from the Sun • Last of the Gas Giants • Methane gives it a blue color • A day is shorter than Earth lasting only 16 hours • One orbit around the Sun is 165 Earth years • Atmosphere consists of high winds reaching over 1000 miles per hour

11. Pluto • Pluto is usually the outermost planet in the solar system, and is the only planet that has not been visited by a spacecraft from Earth. This mysterious planet is really a double planet system, since its largest moon, Charon, is very close to Pluto and is about the same size. • Pluto's unique orbit causes it to periodically come within the orbit of Neptune. Pluto was the eighth planet from the Sun from February 7th, 1979 through February 11, 1999. Now Pluto will remain the ninth planet through the 23rd century.