Science

• Solar system


  Collective name for the Sun together with the groups of celestial heavenly bodies that are held in its gravity and revolve around the Sun
• Members of the solar system

  • The Sun
  • Comets
  • Meteoroids
  • Meteor
  • Meteor shower
  • Meteorites
  • Asteroids
  • Planets
  • Dwarf planets
• The Sun


  • A huge ball of hot gases with a temperature of around 15 million degrees Celsius at the center and five thousand degrees Celsius at the surface
  • The largest object in the solar system
  • A middle sized yellow star
• Comets


  Made up of dust and rock particles mixed with frozen water, methane and ammonia
• Meteoroids


  Pieces of dust and rocks that break from comet's nucleus
• Meteor


  Burning rocks that enter the Earth's atmosphere
• Meteorites


  Meteors that reach the Earth's surface on land or water
• Meteor shower


  When more meteors are seen in the atmosphere
• Asteroids


  Also known as planetoids, small pieces of rocks and metals that orbit around the Sun between Mars and Jupiter
• Planets in the solar system

  • Mercury
  • Venus
  • Earth
  • Mars
  • Jupiter
  • Saturn
  • Uranus
  • Neptune
• Dwarf planets


  Too small to be considered as planets
• Dwarf planets


  • Pluto
  • Ceres
• Terrestrial planets


  • Also called the inner planets, includes Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars
• Jovian planets


  • Also called the gas giants, includes Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
• Nebular theory


  The Sun and planets are formed from a rotating disk of dust and gases
• Mercury


  • Nearest planet to the Sun
  • Has many craters due to no atmosphere
  • Has no moons
  • One rotation is equivalent to 58 days 15 hours and 30 minutes
  • One revolution around the Sun takes 88 days
• Venus


  • Second planet from the Sun
  • Brightest object in the sky
  • Commonly referred to as the morning and evening star
  • Considered the twin planet of Earth
  • Hottest planet due to thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide
  • Clouds are mostly sulfuric acid
  • Rains are acid rain
  • Surface has faults and volcanoes
  • First planet studied with space in 1962
  • Has no moons
  • Rotation takes 116 days and 18 hours
  • Revolution takes 225 days
• Earth


  • Third planet from the Sun
  • The only living planet
  • Rich in liquid water that supports life
  • Has an atmosphere that supports and protects life
  • Atmosphere burns most meteors before reaching surface
  • Has one large moon
  • Rotation takes 23 hours and 56 minutes
  • Revolution takes 365 and one-fourth days
• Mars


  • Known as the red planet
  • Surface appears red/yellow due to iron oxide
  • Atmosphere is 18% composed of carbon dioxide, small amounts of oxygen and nitrogen
  • Has water in atmosphere but not enough to form clouds
  • Days on Mars are almost the same as on Earth
  • Rotation takes 24 hours and 37 minutes
  • Revolution takes 687 days
  • Has the largest volcano in the solar system, Mount Olympus Mons
  • Gravity is 2/5 as strong as Earth
  • Has two irregularly shaped moons, Phobos and Deimos
• Asteroid belt


  Group of asteroids found between the orbit of Mars and Jupiter, separating the terrestrial and Jovian planets
• Jupiter


  • Largest gaseous planet
  • More than 11 times the size of Earth
  • Generates very strong gravitational force
  • Atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium, methane, ammonia and water vapor
  • Has a faint dust ring
  • Has at least 63 moons, including the Galilean moons of Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io
  • Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system
  • Io has active volcanoes
  • Callisto is mostly made of rocks and ice
  • Has a counterclockwise rotating storm called the Great Red Spot
  • Rotation takes 9 hours and 56 minutes
  • Revolution takes 12 years
• Saturn


  • Second largest planet
  • Lowest density planet
  • 9.5 times larger than Earth
  • Rotation takes 10 hours and 39 minutes
  • Revolution takes 29 years
  • Atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium, methane and water vapor
  • Has at least 31 moons, the largest being Titan
• Uranus


  • Third largest planet
  • Also called the sideways planet
  • Has a system of 11 thin dark rings
  • Atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium and methane, giving it a bluish-green color
  • Radiates the same amount of solar energy it receives
  • Axis of rotation is tilted at 84 degrees
  • Rotation takes 17 hours and 14 minutes
  • Revolution takes 84 years
  • Gravity is a little stronger than Earth
  • Has at least 21 moons, the largest being Titania
• Neptune


  • Fourth largest planet
  • Also called the windy planet or storm planet
  • Has an elliptical orbit
  • Atmosphere is made up of methane, giving it a bluish-green color
  • Has a dark colored storm called the Great Dark Spot
  • Has the fastest winds in the solar system
  • Has at least 11 moons, the largest being Triton
  • Rotation takes 16 hours and 6 minutes
  • Revolution takes 165 years
• A person who studies celestial bodies is called an astronomer