The Solar System Flashcards
How many planets are there in our solar system?
8 including earth
List the planets in order from closest to furthest away from the sun.
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
List the planets in order from smallest to biggest
- Mercury
- Mars
- Venus
- Earth
- Neptune
- Uranus
- Saturn
- Jupiter
What are the planets named after?
All planets except earth are named after Roman and Greek gods and godesses
Why is our planetary system called “the solar system?”
We use the word “sloar” to describe things related to our star, after the Latin word for Sun, “solis.”
What does our solar system consist of?
Our star (The Sun) and everything bound to it by gravity-
Planets
Dwarf planets
Moons
Asteroids
Comets
Meteoroids
Facts about mercury:
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. Despite being the closest planet to the sun Mercury is not the hottest
Facts about Venus:
Venus is the second planet from the sun. Venus is the hottest planet due to its dense atmosphere
Facts about Earth:
Earth is the third planet from the sun and the only place we know of so far that is inhabited by living things
Facts about Mars:
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. It is a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere
Facts about Jupiter:
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun. It is the largest planet in our solar system and is orbited by 64 moons (12 of which are named)
Facts about Saturn:
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun. Although it is not the only planet with rings in our solar system, Saturn’s rings are certainly the most spectacular and complex
Facts about Uranus:
Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun and the third largest planet in our solar system. It was the first planet discovered with the aid of a telescope
Facts about Neptune:
Neptune is an ice giant and the furthest planet from the sun
Who discovered Uranus?
Astronomer William Herschel
List the four rocky planets and the four gas planets.
What are they also known as?
Rocky:
.Mercury
.Venus
.Earth
.Mars
Gas:
.Jupiter
.Saturn
.Uranus
.Neptune
Rocky is also known as terrestrial
Gas is also known as jovial
How did everything begin?
In a molecular cloud
What is a molecular cloud?
A loose collection of gas and dust, one that is cold enough for molecules to be able form
What is a molecular cloud mostly made up of?
Hydrogen gas
How do stars form?
Over time gravity causes parts of the molecular clouds to collapse. The clumps become denser and hotter eventually forming stars
How do planets form?
Each star attracts dust and gas from the clouds. Some of it falls onto the star but some of it falls into orbit around it instead. Once the cloud clears some dust and gas remain orbiting the star. Out of this disk, planets form
How long does it take for planets to form?
Depending on how close it is to the star, a planet can take anywhere between centuries and less than a day to form
What happened during the Chaotic Era?
Some Protoplanets smashed into each other. Others may have been ejected out of the solar system entirely
How will the solar system end up?
The sun will exhaust all it’s fuel and collapse in on itself this will cause an explosion that will either destroy the remaining planets or eject them into space. The sun will have lost half its mass and continue to shine as a small, hot white dwarf. The remains of the solar system will scatter in space
