Chapter 12

THE SOLAR
SYSTEM

Early scientists
believed that
the Earth was
fixed in space
and everything
revolved
around it.

Today, it is accepted
that the Earth,
seven other
planets, comets
and asteroids
revolve around the
Sun.

Because the
Sun contains
over 99% of the
mass in our
solar system, it
has the greatest
gravity.
Everything that
is part of our
solar system
orbits the Sun.

The Sun

Images of the Sun

Solar prominences

Coronal mass ejections

sunspots

Scientists
believe that
the solar
system formed
from a cloud of
gas and dust
called a
nebula.
The Crab Nebula

Images of Nebulas

Butterfly Nebula

Horse head Nebula

Necklace Nebula

A nearby star
may have
exploded
causing the
nebula to
collapse forming
the sun, the
planets, comets,
and asteroids.
See figure 3
p339

Supernova

The paths the

planets take around
the Sun is their orbit.
The orbits are
elliptical or slightly
oval shaped.
This means that
sometimes they are
closer to the Sun
and sometimes
farther away from
the Sun in their orbit.

The Solar System

The year on a
planet is
determined by
its distance
from the Sun.
Its day
depends on
how quickly it
rotates on its
axis.

Year and Day on a

Planet.

Questions
1. Why does everything in our solar system orbit the
Sun?
It has the most gravity.
2. Where did the material to form our Sun come from?
A nebula.
3. What is the path a planet takes around the Sun?
An orbit.
4. What determines the year on a planet?
Its distance from the Sun.
5. What determines the day on a planet?
How quickly it rotates on its axis.

Mercury,
Venus, Earth,
and Mars are
called the
terrestrial or
Earth-like
planets.
Also called the
inner planets

The Inner Planets

Mercury is the
closest planet to
the Sun.
It is the smallest
planet.
It has no
atmosphere.
It has a very large
temperature
range from day to
night.
Mercury

The surface
has many
craters and
high cliffs.
It has no
moons.

Mercury

Images of Mercury
Craters on Mercury

Mercury in Transit

Venus is called
Earths sister planet
because it is nearly
the size of Earth.
It has a very thick
atmosphere made of
mainly carbon
dioxide.
It has rain made of
sulfuric acid that
evaporates before it
strikes the surface.

Venus

It has very high

atmospheric
pressure at the
surface.
Venus has a
runaway
greenhouse effect
causing surface
temperatures of 450
degrees C.
Venus has no
moons.

Venus

Images of Venus
Surface Image

Venus in Transit

Earth is called the

Blue Planet because
of the large amount of
water covering the
surface.
The Earths distance
from the Sun allows
water to exist as a
solid, liquid, and a
gas.
Its magnetic field and
atmosphere help
protect us from
radiation from the
Sun.

Earth

The Earth is
the only
planet
known to
have life.
Earth has
one large
moon.

Earth

Mars is called the

Red Planet because
its surface is
covered by iron
oxide or rust.
It has ice caps of
frozen water and
carbon dioxide.
Mars has the largest
volcano and the
largest valley in the
solar system.

Mars

Surface features
indicate that water
once flowed over
the surface.
Mars has a thin
atmosphere made
up of mainly
carbon dioxide.
Large dust storms
often blanket the
planet.
Mars

Images of Mars

Pollution on
Mars

Mariner Valley

Olympus Mons

Mars has
two small
Moons that
most likely
came from
the asteroid
belt.
Phobos and Deimos

The asteroid belt

is located
between the
orbits of Mars
and Jupiter.
Asteroids are
made up of rock
similar to the
material that
formed the
planets.

Gaspra

 Asteroids

are very
small
compared
to Earth.
Asteroids

Questions
1. What does terrestrial mean?
Earth like.
2. Why does Mercury have a large temperature
range?
It has no atmosphere and is close to the Sun.
3. What gas in the atmosphere of Venus makes it
much different from Earth.
Much carbon dioxide.
4. Why is Earth the Blue Planet?
Much of its surface is covered by water.
5. Why is Mars called the Red Planet?
Its surface contains iron oxide.

Jupiter,
Saturn,
Uranus, and
Neptune are
called the
Gas Giants.
Also called
the Outer
Planets.

The Outer Planets

Jupiter is the
largest
planet.
It is mostly
made of
hydrogen
and helium.
It has no
solid surface.

Jupiter

It has a
storm called
the Great
Red Spot
that has
lasted at
least three
hundred
years.

Great Red Spot

Images of Jupiter
Cloud Bands

Jupiters Interior

It has many Jupiters Largest

Moons
moons
including four
large moons
that are very
unique.
See table 2
p349.

Jupiters Moons
Io

Europa

Jupiters Moons
Callisto

Ganymede

Saturn is the second

largest planet.
It is made mostly of
hydrogen and
helium.
It has no solid
surface.
It has a very
complex ring system
easily seen through
a small backyard
telescope.

Saturn

Images of Saturn
Saturns Rings Edge
On

Close-up of Saturns
Rings

It has many
moons
including
Titan which
is larger than
the planet
Mercury.
Titan

Uranus is mostly
hydrogen, helium,
and methane.
It has a very large
axis tilt causing it
to appear to roll
like a ball as it
rotates on its axis
as viewed from
Earth.
It has 27 known
moons.
Uranus

Neptune is
mostly
methane.
It has a large
storm called
the Great
Dark Spot.
Neptune has
13 moons.

Neptune

Questions
1. What are the outer four planets called?
The gas giants.
2. Why are the outer planets much different from the
inner planets.
They are farther from the Sun.
3. What is the most visible feature of Saturn?
Its rings.
4. What is different about the rotation of Uranus.
It rotates on its side.
5. Which planet is the largest in our solar system.
Jupiter.

Comets are
composed of dust
and rock particles
mixed with frozen
water, methane,
and ammonia.
Comets originate
from the Oort
Cloud which is
located beyond the
orbit of Pluto.
Comet Hale-Bopp

As a comet
nears the Sun,
it forms a tail.
The tail always
points away
from the Sun.
See figure 18
p357.

Comets Tail

A meteoroid
is a piece of
rock in
space.
Meteoroids

A meteoroid
that enters
the Earths
atmosphere
and begins to
burn is called
a meteor.
Meteor

A meteor
that
reaches the
Earths
surface is
called a
meteorite.
Meteorite

Asteroids are
pieces of rock that
travel at very high
speeds.
It is believed that a
large asteroid hit
Earth 65 million
years ago killing
most life on Earth,
including the
dinosaurs.
Meteor Crater

Questions
1. Where do comets originate from?
The Oort cloud.
2. How does the tail of a comet always point?
Away from the Sun.
3. What is a meteoroid?
A piece of rock in space.
4. When does a meteoroid become a meteorite?
When it reaches Earths surface.
5. What is believed to hit the Earth 65 million years
ago killing most life?
A large asteroid.