OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

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OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
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Planet Minimum Launch Velocity (ft/sec.) Transit Time to Earth
Mercury 44,000 110 days
Venus 38,000 150 days
Mars 38,000 260 days
Jupiter 46,000 2.7 Years
Saturn 49,000 6 Years
Uranus 51,000 16 Years
Neptune 52,000 31 Years
Pluto 53,000 40 Years
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OUR POWERHOUSE- THE SUN
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The Sun
Fast Facts Distance from Earth 149.6 million
km Diameter 1,390,000 km Temperatures Core 1
6 million degrees C Surface 6,100 degrees
C Rotation 28.6 days Composition 71
hydrogen 26.5 helium 2.5 other
elements Mass 332,900 x Earths
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MISSIONS TO THE SUN Ulysses is the first
spacecraft to study the unexplored region of
space above our Suns poles. It was launched in
Oct 1990. The international Solar and
Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft has
been keeping a steady watch on the Sun since
April 1996. Keeping the Sun under almost constant
observation, SOHO has been able to warn Earth
about approaching coronal mass ejections that
could potentially disrupt communications.
INTERESTING TIDBITS - The next star is almost
300,000 times the distance from the Earth to
the Sun! -You would have to explode
100,000,000,000 tons of dynamite every second to
match the energy produced by the Sun. - 99.8 of
the mass of the solar system is in the Sun.
SOHO
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There are millions of similar stars in the Milky
Way Galaxy (and billions of galaxies in the
universe). Our Sun supports life on Earth. It
powers photosynthesis in green plants and is
ultimately the source of all food and fossil
fuel. The connection and interaction between the
Sun and the Earth drive the seasons, currents in
the ocean, weather, and climate.
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MERCURY
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The Planet Mercury
Fast Facts Namesake Messenger of the Roman
Gods Diameter 4878 km (The Earth is 12,756
km) Distance from Sun 57.8 million km (36
million miles) Temperatures Day 467 degrees
C Night -183 degrees C Rotation 59 Earth
days Revolution 88 Earth days
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MISSIONS TO MERCURY MESSENGER is a scientific
investigation of the planet Mercury.
Understanding Mercury, and the forces that have
shaped it, is fundamental to understanding the
terrestrial planets and their evolution.MESSENG
ER's journey will include one Earth flyby, two
Venus flybys and three Mercury flybys before it
enters orbit in 2011. The flybys will help focus
the science mission when MESSENGER enters orbit.
The spacecraft is expected to orbit Mercury for
one year. MESSENGER was launched on August 2,
2004. INTERESTING TIDBITS MESSENGER is only
the second spacecraft sent to Mercury. The last
one - Mariner 10 - completed its mission in
1975.Mercury is the least explored of our solar
system's inner planets.
Messenger
Mariner 10
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VENUS
Earths Sister Planet
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The Planet Venus
Fast Facts Namesake Roman Goddess of
Love Diameter 12,100 km (The Earth is 12,756
km) Distance from Sun 108.2 million km (67
million miles) Temperature 484 degrees C (900
degrees F) Rotation 243 days (Retrograde) Revolu
tion 225 Earth days Atmosphere Carbon Dioxide
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MISSIONS TO VENUS Mariner 2, developed to fly
by Venus, studied the planet's atmosphere and
surface. It was launched in Aug 1962. Mariner 5
flew within 4,000 kilometers (approximately
2,500 miles) of Venus. It was launched in Jun
1967. Magellan orbited Venus and mapped 99
percent of its surface when it was launched in
May 1989. INTERESTING TIDBITS - Venus is only
similar to the Earth in size, mass and
composition. - It contains sulfuric acid clouds
and its atmosphere contains Abut 96 carbon
dioxide. - Its atmosphere is so dense its
surface pressure is 90 times that of
Earth! -Because of the Greenhouse Effect Venus
is the hottest planet in the solar system
Mariner 2
Magellan
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EARTH
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The Planet Earth (The only planet known to
contain life)
Fast Facts Diameter 12,756 km Distance from
Sun 149.6 million km Rotation 23.93
hours Revolution 365.26 days Tilt 23.45
degrees INTERESTING TIDBITS - All of the things
we need to survive are provided under a thin
layer of atmosphere that separates us from the
uninhabitable void of space. - Oceans at least 4
km deep cover nearly 70 percent of Earth's
surface.
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MISSIONS TO EARTH Sputnik was the opening shot
in the space race between the United States and
the former Soviet Union. The basketball-sized
spacecraft was the world's first artificial
satellite. It orbited the Earth sending back a
beeping signal for 23 days. It was launched in
Oct 1957. Explorer 1 was the first spacecraft
successfully launched by the U.S. It orbited
Earth every 115 minutes. It carried instruments
to measure cosmic rays, micrometeorites, and its
own temperature, transmitting this data until
February 28, 1958. Explorer 1 found a radiation
belt around Earth. The Galileo spacecraft found
evidence of life on Earth. Not a surprising
discovery, but the use of instruments to detect
traces of life in a planet's atmosphere will be
useful as future space probes continue to seek
evidence of life beyond Earth.Galileo's cameras
captured unique never-before-seen views of
Antarctica and also the Earth and Moon together
- a glimpse at what someone from another world
might see as they approached our little piece of
the solar system. Galileo was launched in Oct
1989. From the vantage point of space we are
able to observe our planet globally, as we do
other planets, to understand the delicate
balance among its oceans, air, land, and life.
Sputnik
Explorer 1
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THE MOON
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The Moon
Fast Facts Diameter 3,476 km Mass 1/81the
Mass of Earth Rotation 27.3 days Revolution 27
.3 days Average Distance from Earth 384,400
Km (238,850 mi) Temperature Day 123 degrees
Celsius Night -233 degrees Celsius Gravity 1/
6th of Earths INTERESTING TIDBITS - Galileo
made the first telescopic observations of the
moon. - Temps range from -387 to 253 F - About
842 pounds of Moon rocks and soil have been
returned by Apollo astronauts.
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MISSIONS TO THE MOON -Pioneer 4 was the first
successful U.S. mission to the Moon and the first
U.S. spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity. It
was the first American spacecraft to achieve an
orbit around our Sun. It was launched in Aug
1958. -The Apollo program was designed to land
humans on The Moon and bring them safely back to
Earth. Six of the missions achieved this goal
and two circled the Moon and took photos of its
surface. The program lasted from 1963-1972. -
Other past programs Ranger, Explorer, Surveyor,
Clementine, Lunar Prospector. CURRENT PROGRAMS
TO STUDY THE MOON - Two Japanese and one
European Space Agency probes. FUTURE
MISSIONS The proposed Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter would use powerful instruments and
cameras to identify future landing sites for
future robotic and human explorers. It would be
launched in Sep 2008.
Apollo 12 Mission
Ranger 7
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MARS
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The Planet Mars
Fast Facts Namesake Roman God of
War Diameter 6,786 km (The Earth is 12,756
km) Distance from Sun 253 million km (142
million miles) Temperature -143 degrees C to 17
degrees C Rotation 24.6 hours Revolution 687
Earth days Atmosphere Carbon Dioxide Moons
(2) Phobos and Deimos Gravity 1/3 of Earths
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MISSIONS TO MARS Four Mariner satellites took
pictures and orbited Mars from 1964-1972. Viking
s 1 and 2 landed on Mars in the fall of
1976. Spirit is the first of the twin Mars
Exploration Rovers to reach Mars in January
2004. Its robotic twin- Opportunity - landed on
the opposite side of the planet. Launched in Aug
2005, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will track
changes in Mars' atmosphere,look for more
evidence of ancient seas and hot springs and
study surface minerals. Five other Mars
missions are planned for the future to study its
ice caps, soil and to bring back samples to
Earth. INTERESTING TIDBITS - Mars has the
highest volcanic mountain in the solar system -
27 km high and 600 km accross - It also has a
canyon that stretches the distance from New York
to Los Angeles
Spirit
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
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ASTEROIDS
Mathilde, Gaspra and Ida
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ASTEROIDS
- Asteroids are rocky fragments left over from
the formation of the solar system - Most are
fragments of ancient space rubble - They orbit
the Sun in a belt between Mars and Jupiter - They
range in size from Ceres, which at 940 km in
diameter (about one-quarter the diameter of our
Moon), to bodies that are less than 1 km across.
There are more than 90,000 numbered asteroids
and over a million total.
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TERRESTRIAL PLANETS - Solid surfaces - Similar
densities
JOVIAN PLANETS - Gas giants - Have rings
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JUPITER
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The Planet Jupiter
Fast Facts Namesake King of Roman
Gods Diameter 143,200 km Distance from
Sun 778.3 million km (484 million
miles) Temperature -148 degrees C Rotation 9
hrs 55 min Revolution 11.9 Earth
years Atmosphere Hydrogen and
Helium Moons 63 Rings 4
Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto - moons
of Jupiter
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MISSIONS TO JUPITER -Pioneer 10 - the first
spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt
and take images and other data about Jupiter.It
launched in 1972 - Voyagers 1 and 2 - Both
examined in detail the active moons of Jupiter.
Both were launched in 1977. Voyager 1 is
continuing its journey toward interstellar
space, and is now farther from Earth than any
other spacecraft. INTERESTING TIDBITS - More
than 1,000 Earths would fit inside Jupiter. -
Its moon Io, is the most volcanically active
body in the solar system. - It consist of the
same material as the Sun hydrogen and
helium - Its interior pressure may reach 100
million times the surface pressure on Earth
Voyager 1
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PROMETHEUS ONE
NASA's proposed Prometheus One spacecraft could
orbit three of Jupiters most intriguing moons -
Callisto, Ganymede and Europa. All three
planet-sized moons may have oceans beneath their
icy surfaces. Prometheus One could study the
moons' makeup, history and potential for
sustaining life in unprecedented detail.The
spacecraft also could pioneer the use of electric
propulsion powered by a nuclear fission reactor.
The propulsion system will provide enough power
to enter and leave the orbits of the moons. The
engine development is part of NASA's Prometheus
initiative to pioneer new methods of space
propulsion. NASA is hoping for a launch around
the year 2015.
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SATURN
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The Planet Saturn The Jewel of the Solar System
Fast Facts Namesake Roman God of
Agriculture Diameter 120,536 km (Earth is
12,756 km) Distance from Sun 1.4 billion km (886
million miles) Temperature -178 degrees
C Rotation 10 hrs 40 min Revolution 29.5
Earth years Atmosphere Hydrogen and
Helium Number of Moons 46 Rings Thousands
Saturn and one of its moons
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MISSIONS TO SATURN - Pioneer 11 - The first to
visit Saturn and took close-up pictures.
Launched in 1973, it made to Saturn in 1979. -
Like Jupiter, Voyagers 1 and 2 also collected
data on Saturn. INTERESTING TIDBITS - Saturns
moon Titan is larger than Mercury and Pluto. -
Thousands of rings made of up billions of
particles of ice and rock orbit Saturn. The
particles range in size from a grain of sugar
to the size of a house. - The wind speeds at
Saturn's equator can reach 1,100 mph. Earth's
most violent tornadoes hit 200 mph.
Pioneer 11
Cassini
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Cassini-Huygens
Cassini is the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn.
The NASA orbiter is studying the intriguing
features of Saturn's system of rings and moons.
It also delivered the European Space Agency's
Huygens Probe into the atmosphere of Saturn's
moon Titan. The spacecraft reached speeds of
70,700 mph on its way to the ringed planet after
being launched in 1997.Just hours after it
arrived at Saturn, the orbiter sent back
surprising science data and images that shed new
light on the structure of Saturn's beautiful
rings. The orbiter's 4-year primary mission
should reveal much about Saturn and its
intriguing system of rings and moons.
One of the First images of Titans Surface
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URANUS
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The Planet Uranus The Sideways Planet
Fast Facts Namesake Roman God, Father of the
Titans Diameter 51,120 km (The Earth is 12,756
km) Distance from Sun 2.9 billion km (1.8
billion miles) Temperature -216 degrees C (-357
degrees F) Rotation 17 hrs 14
min Revolution 84 Earth years Atmosphere Hydro
gen and Helium Rings 11 Moons 27
Saturns beat up moon Miranda
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MISSIONS TO URANUS - In 1986, Voyager 2 flew by
Uranus at a distance of 50,600 miles. - No other
missions have been to Uranus and none are
planned. INTERESTING TIDBITS -Uranus gets
its blue-green color from methane gas above
the deeper cloud layers. Methane makes up only
2 of the atmosphere. - It is the only planet
that is tilted on its side.
Voyager 2
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NEPTUNE
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The Planet Neptune
Fast Facts Namesake Roman God of the
Sea Diameter 49,500 km (The Earth is 12,756
km) Distance from Sun 4.5 billion km (2.8
billion miles) Temperature -214 degrees C (-353
degrees F) Rotation 16 hours Revolution 165
Earth years Atmosphere Hydrogen and
Helium Number of Rings 4 Number of Moons 13
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MISSIONS TO NEPTUNE - In 1989, Voyager 2 skimmed
the north pole of Neptune by a mere 4800
kilometers (3000 miles), and determined basic
characteristics of Neptune and its largest moon
Triton color, cloud-top features, size, mass,
composition, temperature, and rotation rate. -
No other missions are planned. INTERESTING
TIDBITS -Neptune is actually the farthest planet
from the Sun for a 20-year period out of every
248 Earth years. - Neptune may be the windiest
planet in the solar system. Winds tear through
the clouds at more than 1,200 mph (2,000 kph).
Saturns moon, Triton
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PLUTO
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The Planet Pluto
Fast Facts Namesake Roman God of the
Underworld Diameter 2,400 km (The Earth is
12,756 km) Distance from Sun 5.9 billion km (3.7
billion miles) Temperature -233 degrees C (-387
degrees F) Rotation 6.4 days Revolution 248
Earth years Moons 1
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MISSIONS TO PLUTO NEW HORIZONS - This
spacecraft would use imaging instruments and
conduct other experiments, to characterize the
geology of Pluto and its moon Charon, and map
their surface composition. New Horizons is
programmed to be launched in January 2006 and
will reach Pluto around 2016. INTERESTING
TIDBITS - Pluto, the smallest planet, is the
only planet not yet visited by a spacecraft. -
Pluto and Charon are so far away they are
difficult to see - even with powerful
telescopes. Even the best pictures are very
fuzzy. We can only guess what Pluto's surface
looks like.
New Horizons
Pluto and Charon Taken by Hubble
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COMETS
- Comets are big chunks of ice, rock and gas.
They are dirty snowballs leftover from the
beginning of our solar system. - Comets get
their name from the Greek word "kometes" (long
hair) - a reference to their tails. - Comets
orbit the Sun like planets. Most comets orbit way
out beyond the orbit of Pluto.
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MISSIONS TO COMETS - DEEP IMPACT This
spacecraft impacted with comet Tempel 1 on July
4, 2005. Debris from the impact is being
studied. - STARDUST On January 2, 2004, Stardust
flew within 236 kilometers of Comet Wild 2 and
captured thousands of particles for return on
Earth in January 2006.- ROSETTA Rosetta is on a
10-year mission to explore a distant comet. It
will orbit the comet around 2014 and make
observations for about two years as the comet
approaches the Sun. Rosetta will also release a
small lander packed with scientific instruments
to make the first-ever landing on the surface of
a comet.
Deep Impacts impact!
Rosetta
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OUR TENTH PLANET?
This artist's concept shows the planet catalogued
as 2003UB313 at the lonely outer fringes of our
solar system. Our Sun can be seen in the
distance. The new planet, which is yet to be
formally named, is at least as big as Pluto and
about three times farther away from the Sun than
Pluto. It is very cold and dark. The planet was
discovered by the Samuel Oschin Telescope at the
Palomar Observatory near San Diego, Calif., on
Jan. 8, 2005.
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WHAT IS THE KUIPER BELT?
The artist's rendition shows the newly
discovered planet-like object, dubbed 'Sedna,'
in relation to other bodies in the Solar System,
including Earth and its Moon Pluto and Quaoar,
a planetoid beyond Pluto that was until now the
largest known object beyond Pluto.
The Kuiper Belt is made up of millions of icy and
rocky objects that orbit our Sun beyond
the orbits of Neptune and Pluto. It's hard to say
exactly what's going on in the Kuiper Belt. Even
the biggest of the Kuiper Belt Objects is
smaller than the United States and it is billions
of miles away where the Sun's light is weak.
After it flies past Pluto and Charon, the New
Horizons spacecraft will head into the Kuiper
Belt. It will be the first spacecraft to explore
this mysterious region.
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OTHER PLANETS IN OUR GALAXY
In 1991, the nine worlds of our own solar system
were the only known planets. In 1991 radio
astronomers detected the first extrasolar
planets orbiting a dying pulsar star. Since then
more than 100 planets have been found orbiting
other stars.
Hubble Takes First Image of a Possible Planet
around Another Star and Finds a Runaway
World NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has given
astronomers their first direct look at what is
possibly a planet outside our solar system one
apparently that has been ejected into deep space
by its parent stars. The image was taken
on August 4, 1997.
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The End
All information and images in this presentation
was derived from the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA).