The earth and beyond (5)

The earth and beyond

Solar System

• The Sun and all the orbiting planets and their moons make up the solar system

• The four planets closest to the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are the warmest. They are called the rocky planets.

• The four planets further from the Sun (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) are big, cold planets. They are called the gas giants.

Asteroids

• lumps of rocks that move in orbits around the sun

• most asteroids orbit around the sun--- 300 - 500 million kilometers away

• asteroid belt...

Asteroid Belt

ring of space rubble

kuiper belt

Huge ring of icy and rocky objects beyond Neptune. You can find dwarf planets here.

Oort cloud

Edge of the solar system--huge hollow ball of icy objects

Open Ended

Read page 243 and answer

What is the size of the largest asteroid?

Open Ended

Read page 243 and answer

What is the largest dwarf planet?

Milky way

• 100,000 light years across

The milky way