Solar System Day 4:

Everything Else
Mx. Stwalley
5th grade science class
 • Dwarf planets share their orbits with many other space objects.
• There are 5 known dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake

Dwarf • Ceres, the smallest dwarf planet, is located in the asteroid belt, between Mars
and Jupiter.
Planets • It is the only dwarf planet that we have sent a space craft to.
• Pluto lost its planet status in 2006
• Its orbit sometimes is closer to the sun than Neptune
• Some dwarf planets have moons
Satellites
• Satellites, also known as moons, are objects
that orbit a planet.
• Not all satellites are completely round, some
are irregularly shaped.
• Earth has one satellite, Luna, who revolves
around the Earth every 27.3 days.
• It also has a rotation of 27.3 days.
• Ganymede, one of Saturn’s satellites, is the
largest satellite in the solar system. It is larger
than Mercury.
• Titan, one of Jupiter’s satellites, is the second
largest satellite and has an atmosphere much
like early Earth.
Asteroids

• Asteroids are believed to be left over bits of

planet from when the solar system was
forming.
• They come in all different shapes and sizes.
• The asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, is
believed to be a planet that was destroyed by
the gravity of Jupiter.
• When an asteroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, it
becomes a meteor.
• When a meteor hit’s Earth’s surface, it
becomes a meteorite.
 • Comets are made up of dirt and ice that is left over from the formation of the
solar system.
• They orbit the sun like a planet but do not have as round of an orbit.
Comets • Most comets are found in the Oort cloud or Kuiper belt.
• As comets pass Jupiter, they begin to melt which forms their tails.
• One of the most famous comets is Haley’s comet which passes by Earth
around once every 75 years.
Sources
Aguilar, D. A. (2007). Planets, stars, and galaxies: A visual encyclopedia
of our universe. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.
Howard, F. (2008). Dwarf planets. Edina, MN: ABDO Pub. Co.
Stott, C. (2017). Eyewitness planets. New York: DK Publishing.
Stuart, C. (2019). Discover our solar system. Lewes, East Sussex: Button
Books.