A Family of Planets

1
A Family of Planets
2
Vocabulary

• 1 Astronomical Unit (AU) - the average distance
  between the Earth and the sun.(93 million miles)
• Terrestrial Planets small, rocky, dense, and
  rock (inner planets)
• Gas Giants (Jovian Planets) Large, gaseous
  planets (outer planets)

3

• Surface gravity weight of an object experienced
  on the planet.
• Rotation spin of an object in space
• Period Rotation amount of time it takes an
  object to rotate once.
• Revolution motion of an object as it orbits
  around another object in space.
• Period of Revolution time it takes to revolve
  around the sun

4

• Prograde rotation Counterclockwise rotation of
  a planet (Earth)
• Retrograde rotation clockwise rotation of a
  planet (Venus, Uranus, and Pluto)

5
Mercury

• 3.2 light-minutes
• 58 days 16 hours
• 88 days
• 4,879 km
• 5.43 g/cm3
• -173 427 degrees C
• 38 of Earths
• 0 satellites

6
Venus Earths twin?

• 6.0 light-minutes
• 243 days
• 224 days 17 hours
• 12,104 km
• 5.43 g/cm3
• 464 degrees C
• 91 of Earths
• 0 satellites

7
Earth

• 8.3 light minutes
• 23 hours 56 minutes
• 365 days 6 hours
• 12,756 km
• 5.52 g/cm3
• -13 37 degrees C
• 100
• 1 satellite

8
Mars

• 12.7 light min.
• 24 hrs 37 min
• 1 year 322 days
• 6,794 km
• 3.93 g/cm3
• -12337 degrees C
• 38
• 2 satellites

9
Jupiter

• 43.3 light-min
• 9 hrs 56 min
• 11 yrs 313 days
• 142,984 km
• 1.33 g/cm3
• -153 degrees C
• 236
• 16 satellites

10
Saturn

• 1.3 light-hrs
• 10 hrs 39 min
• 29 yrs 155 days
• 120,536 km
• 0.69 g/cm3
• - 185 degrees C
• 92
• 30 satellites

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Uranus

• 2.7 light-hours
• 17 hrs 14 mins.
• 83 yrs 274 days
• 51, 118 km
• 1.27 g/cm3
• -214 degrees C
• 89
• 21 27 satellites

12
Neptune

• 4.2 light-hrs
• 16 hrs 7 mins.
• 163 years 265 days
• 49,528 km
• 1.64 g/cm3
• -225 degrees C
• 112
• 8 satellites

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What about Pluto?

• Pluto was discovered in 1930 by a fortunate
  accident. Calculations which later turned out to
  be in error had predicted a planet beyond
  Neptune, based on the motions of Uranus and
  Neptune. Not knowing of the error, Clyde W.
  Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Arizona did a
  very careful sky survey which turned up Pluto
  anyway.

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Pluto

• 5.5 light-hrs
• 6 days 9 hrs
• 248 yrs
• 2,390 km
• 2.05 g/cm3
• -236 degrees C
• 6
• 1 satellite

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Pluto Controversy

• Whats wrong with Pluto?
• Why has it been demoted?
• What is it now?
• ??????????????