Mr. Brian Fredrich

3rd Grade Science

OVERVIEW

Made up of 8 orbiting planets

Moons

Comets

Asteroids

Minor planets

Dust and gas

S

U

N

• Largest object in our Solar System

• All matter revolves around sun

• Sun makes up 98% of all matter in our solar system

Mercury

Small, Rocky Planet

Mariner 10 spacecraft

has visited and mapped about

half of planet

Possible volcanic activity

No moons!

Venus

Covered by thick layer

of sulfuric acid clouds

Been visited 20 times

Too hot for rain to form

Earth

Supports a variety of life

Core of earth is hotter

than surface of Sun!

Densest body in solar

system

Mars

Cold and lifeless

Dry ice on both poles

Dust storms blow

through planet for months

Two tiny orbiting moons

very close to its surface

Jupiter

Giant gaseous planet

90% Hyrdrogen

10% Helium

1000 X bigger than

Earth

16 known moons

Saturn

Giant gaseous planet

75% Hydrogen

25% Helium

Rings are made of water

ice – origins are unknown

Would float in h20

18 known moons

Uranus

Gas, rock, and ice

Visited only once- in ’86

Spins right side up

15 known moons

Neptune

Gas, ice, and rock

Visited only once- in ‘89

Occasionally crosses

behind Pluto during orbit

8 known moons

Reference

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/our_sun.

htm

http://kids.nineplanets.org/intro.htm

http://www.rense.com/general72/size.ht

m