Lesson 1 Vocabulary

Solar System - The system that includes a Sun, the planets, and smaller objects orbiting it.
Astronomical Unit - A unit of distance that equals the distance between the Sun and the Earth.
Sun -Large, gaseous body at the center of the solar system.
Planet - An object that orbits a star; large enough to have it's own gravity.
Moon - Small satellite that orbits a planet.

Lesson 1 Vocabulary Cont.

Asteroid - Rocky objects that orbit the sun, but too small and numerous to be considered a planet.
Meteoroids - Chunks of rocks or dust in space; smaller than asteroids.
Comets - Loose collection of ice and dust in space.
Features - Observable traits that set apart an object, or organism, from another.

Open the textbook to page 536

Make a list of the objects found on page 536 - 537.

The Solar System has a Sun, several planets, and several moons.

Each object has their own unique features!

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Understanding The Solar System

We measure distance in space with Astronomical Units (AU).

​1 AU = 150 million Kilometers
The distance from the Sun to Earth.

Distance

Go to Page 538



Answer questions 1 & 2 in your notebook

Go to Savvas Science...

Work on Interactivity: Distance Learning

• Mostly Gas

• Mid-sized star (99.5% mass of our solar system)

• Will burn for another 5 billion years

The Sun

• Mostly rock

• Orbits the Sun

• One of the 4 inner planets, or planets closest to the Sun.

​Earth

Large Objects in Space

​Asteroids

• String of rocks

• Orbit the Sun between mars and Jupiter

Moons

Small Objects in Space

​Meteoroids

​Comets

• Held in orbit by a planet's gravity

• Only 6 planets have a moon, plus dwarf planets

• Space rocks, smaller than asteroids.

• Becomes a meteor, in Earth's atmosphere.

• Loose balls of ice

• Have long orbits around the Sun.

• Develops a tail from orbiting the Sun

Our Sun is structured in separate layers of gas:
The Convection Zone: Outermost layer
The Radiative Zone: Inner layer
and The Core: The center

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All About the Sun

• Photosphere- Innermost layer with a reddish glow. Photo = Light

• Chromosphere- Layer that gives the reddish glow to the photosphere. Chromo = color

• Corona- Outermost layer that gives the Sun a white halo; also the largest layer

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The Sun's Atmosphere

• Sunspots- Dark areas, or spots, that is seen on the surface of the Sun.

• Prominences- Huge loops of plasma that connect two separate Sun Spots.

• Solar flares- When prominences release magnetic energy outwardly, instead of the energy returning to the Sun.

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The Sun's Features

Sun's Features Continued

• ​A cloud of hydrogen, space rocks, ice, and more pulled together by gravity

• Pressure at the center increased, creating heat and light.

• Material around the Sun became planetesimals, which grew into the objects we see today, in space

Formation of the Solar System