Introduction to the Solar System

Why is it ok to define the solar system as just the Sun?

Answer explanation

The sun makes up 98% of all the mass in the solar system.  This means that from a distance, the solar system is just the sun with a little bit of dust (all the planets, moons, asteroids, and dust)

Where is the sun located on this model of the solar system?

Answer explanation

The idea that the Earth is fixed while the sun, moon, and stars revolve around it is called the geocentric model because it puts the Earth (geo) at the center.

We can also understand why ancient people might think that the sun travels around the Earth.  Every day the sun "rises" in the east and "sets" in the west seeming to move across the sky.

Except it doesn't.  Instead, the earth spins, and as we turn we face the sun more directly before spinning away again.

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What hold the planets together in our solar system?

• The Sun's Gravity

• Sun's electromagnetism

• Jupiter's electromagnetism

• Moon's gravitational pull on the Earth

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Other than the Sun, what is the largest object in our solar system?

• Venus

• Jupiter

• Saturn

• Earth

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What is another name for the inner planets?

• Gas Giants

• Terrestrial

• Jupiter-like

• Large

The asteroid belt is between Mars and Jupiter. We use this to separate what two types of planet categories?

• asteroids and meteorites

• moons and comets

• inner and outer

• dwarf and meteroids

All of the planets and many of the other objects in the solar system orbit the sun in a flat plane or disc (Except the Oort cloud). Why is this important and interesting?

• • It gives us clues to how gravity works

• It gives us clues to how Jupiter affects the other planets

• It gives us clues to how the solar system formed

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What do we call a cloud in space?

• nebula

• space cloud

• Greg

What is a planetesimal?

Answer explanation

Planetesimals are solid objects thought to exist in protoplanetary disks and debris disks. Through the process of them smashing into each other, planets form.

This image was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. It shows debris discs near young stars where planetesimals are forming new planets

Why are the outer planets bigger than the inner planets?

• The disc had more material and it was cooler so the gasses didn't blow away

• The disc had less material and it was hotter so the gasses blew away