Our Solar System

Saima Ahmed
Prof. Haley – EDCI 519
 Site Map
Mercury
Jupiter
Venus
Moon

Earth Saturn

Mars Uranus

Neptune

Useful Links - Acknowledgements

Pluto
Sun – Our Star
Astronomical Symbol for Sun

Comet flying past our Sun

The Sun is the star of our Solar System

All planets revolve around the Sun Size of Sun compared to the planets
Sun is made up of 92.1% hydrogen and 7.8% helium
It is extremely hot with a surface temperature of 10,000 F
Sooraj – Humara Sitara
Astronomical Symbol for Sun

Comet flying past our Sun

The Sun is the star of our Solar System

All planets revolve around the Sun Size of Sun compared to the planets
Sun is made up of 92.1% hydrogen and 7.8% helium
It is extremely hot with a surface temperature of 10,000 F
Mercury
Astronomical Symbol for Mercury

Mercury, the messenger of the Roman gods

Planet closest to the Sun – Second smallest planet

Mercury has no moons
Speeds around sun faster than any planet (every 88 days)
Surface temperature during daytime = 800 F
Surface temperature during nighttime = -280 F
Mercurio
Astronomical Symbol for Mercury

Mercury, the messenger of the Roman gods

Planet closest to the Sun – Second smallest planet

Mercury has no moons
Speeds around sun faster than any planet (every 88 days)
Surface temperature during daytime = 800 F
Surface temperature during nighttime = -280 F
More Facts and Figures

Image of Caloris Basin taken by Mariner 10

A complex crater marked by

terraces and a central peak
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Venus
Astronomical Symbol for Venus

Image of terrain on Venus

taken by the Magellan spacecraft

Similar to Earth in size, density and composition

Planet closest to the Earth – It has no moons Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty
Covered by a thick rapidly spinning atmosphere
Surface temperature hot enough to melt lead
Surface pressure 90 times that of Earth
Nogah
Astronomical Symbol for Venus

Image of terrain on Venus

taken by the Magellan spacecraft

Similar to Earth in size, density and composition

Planet closest to the Earth – It has no moons Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty
Covered by a thick rapidly spinning atmosphere
Surface temperature hot enough to melt lead
Surface pressure 90 times that of Earth
More Facts and Figures

Magellan image showing the Impact craters

terrain elevation on Venus

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Earth – Our Planet
Astronomical Symbol for Earth

Weather patterns on Earth

Satellite image of El Nino in Pacific

Earth is the only planet

Third planet in our Solar System from the Sun whose English name
Only known planet to support life does not derive From
A complex interactive system of air, water, land and life Greek/Roman mythology
Zamin – Humara Sayara
Astronomical Symbol for Earth

Weather patterns on Earth

Satellite image of El Nino in Pacific

Earth is the only planet

Third planet in our Solar System from the Sun whose English name
Only known planet to support life does not derive From
A complex interactive system of air, water, land and life Greek/Roman mythology
 Earth’s Moon
Astronomical Symbol for Moon

Apollo 12 astronaut
Charles Conrad visits Surveyor 3,
a robotic spacecraft that landed
on the moon three years earlier

First step of man on the Moon

July 1969

Earth viewed from the Moon

Earth’s only natural satellite
384, 400 km away from Earth (Are we there yet?)
Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the lunar surface
 Zamin ka Chand
Astronomical Symbol for Moon

Apollo 12 astronaut
Charles Conrad visits Surveyor 3,
a robotic spacecraft that landed
on the moon three years earlier

First step of man on the Moon

July 1969

Earth viewed from the Moon

Earth’s only natural satellite
384, 400 km away from Earth (Are we there yet?)
Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the lunar surface
 Mars
Astronomical Symbol for Mars

False color (blue) shows where

water ice is buried beneath the
martian surface in this Mars
Odyssey image

Mars rover photographed

its empty landing platform
after it rolled onto the
surface of Mars at
Gusev Crater

Sphere like grains that once may

have formed in water appear blue
in this false color image taken by
Mars rover Opportunity near its
Mars has the largest volcanic mountain in the Solar System landing site
Mars could have large amount of water ice close to surface
Red color of Martian soil is due to the presence of iron oxides
Mars has two moons
Named after Roman god of war
 Ares
Astronomical Symbol for Mars

False color (blue) shows where

water ice is buried beneath the
martian surface in this Mars
Odyssey image

Mars rover photographed

its empty landing platform
after it rolled onto the
surface of Mars at
Gusev Crater

Sphere like grains that once may

have formed in water appear blue
in this false color image taken by
Mars rover Opportunity near its
Mars has the largest volcanic mountain in the Solar System landing site
Mars could have large amount of water ice close to surface
Red color of Martian soil is due to the presence of iron oxides
Mars has two moons
Named after Roman god of war
More Facts and Figures

Chances are that life may exist on

Mars, but not likely in the form
Hollywood would prefer
Life would probably be as
You should be able to single or multi-cell organisms
dunk the basketball on Mars
Its gravity is 1/3rd of Earth’s

Gullies suggest that water

has recently flowed on Mars

At the Martian equator, the

temperature at your feet will be like
a warm spring day, but at head level
it would be freezing
Mars rover Opportunity landed near the ‘Endurance Crater’

back
Jupiter
Astronomical Symbol for Jupiter

The king of gods in Roman

mythology

The most massive planet in our Solar System

Four planet sized moons and many smaller moons (total = 62)
Jupiter has the largest number of moons in the Solar System Jupiter’s ring system
Atmosphere comprises of hydrogen and helium
Mushtarie
Astronomical Symbol for Jupiter

The king of gods in Roman

mythology

The most massive planet in our Solar System

Four planet sized moons and many smaller moons (total = 62)
Jupiter has the largest number of moons in the Solar System Jupiter’s ring system
Atmosphere comprises of hydrogen and helium
More Facts and Figures

Voyager 1 image of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

The Great Red Spot is a hurricane-like storm system

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is large

enough to hold three Earths

back
Saturn
Astronomical Symbol for Saturn

Roman god of agriculture

Galileo Galilei discovered Saturn in 1610

Saturn is 755 times larger than Earth
Rings of Saturn extend hundreds of thousands kilometer An ultraviolet image of
Rings are made of mostly water ice and rocks Saturn’s ring show more water
Saturn has 47 known moons At the outer edge of the rings
Kayvon
Astronomical Symbol for Saturn

Roman god of agriculture

Galileo Galilei discovered Saturn in 1610

Saturn is 755 times larger than Earth
Rings of Saturn extend hundreds of thousands kilometer An ultraviolet image of
Rings are made of mostly water ice and rocks Saturn’s ring show more water
Saturn has 47 known moons At the outer edge of the rings
More Facts and Figures

Saturn is less dense than water. It

could float in a bathtub if a bathtub
large enough for it could be built

Cassini spacecraft image showing the

true color of Saturn rings

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 Uranus
Astronomical Symbol for Uranus

The dark ‘polar hood’ of Uranus

showing a veil of ice and dust

Image from the Keck Observatory showing

Uranus is 2870.97 million km away from the Sun the ring of Uranus
Uranus has 27 known moons
The moons are mostly named after works of Shakespeare and Pope
Named after the Greek supreme god
 Urano
Astronomical Symbol for Uranus

The dark ‘polar hood’ of Uranus

showing a veil of ice and dust

Image from the Keck Observatory showing

Uranus is 2870.97 million km away from the Sun the ring of Uranus
Uranus has 27 known moons
The moons are mostly named after works of Shakespeare and Pope
Named after the Greek supreme god
 Neptune
Astronomical Symbol for Neptune

Voyager 2’s image of Neptune’s

mysterious Great Dark Spot

The clouds in the image have been

estimated to be about 31 miles tall

Neptune is 4.5 billion km away from Sun

Neptune was located through mathematical prediction rather than direct observation
Atmosphere comprises of hydrogen, helium and methane
Effective temperature = -353 F
Neptune has 13 known moons
Named after the Roman god of sea
 Neptun
Astronomical Symbol for Neptune

Voyager 2’s image of Neptune’s

mysterious Great Dark Spot

The clouds in the image have been

estimated to be about 31 miles tall

Neptune is 4.5 billion km away from Sun

Neptune was located through mathematical prediction rather than direct observation
Atmosphere comprises of hydrogen, helium and methane
Effective temperature = -353 F
Neptune has 13 known moons
Named after the Roman god of sea
Pluto
Astronomical Symbol for Pluto

Pluto’s moon Charon is nearly

half its own size – large!

Named after the Roman god of the underworld

Pluto is the smallest , coldest and most distant planet

Pluto is mostly brown and is probably covered with methane frost
Surface temperature = -387 to -369 F
One known moon named Charon
One Pluto year = 248 Earth years
Pluton
Astronomical Symbol for Pluto

Pluto’s moon Charon is nearly

half its own size – large!

Named after the Roman god of the underworld

Pluto is the smallest , coldest and most distant planet

Pluto is mostly brown and is probably covered with methane frost
Surface temperature = -387 to -369 F
One known moon named Charon
One Pluto year = 248 Earth years
Useful Links - Acknowledgements
The material used in this hypermedia presentation was obtained from the
following websites. The permission to use the material for educational
purposes is gratefully acknowledged. Users are encouraged to follow the
links for more detailed information on our Solar System

http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

http://hubblesite.org

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/

More Solar System related fun stuff, games and quizzes can be found at:

http://kidsatronomy.com/solar_system.htm

http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/proj/space/quiz.htm