Introduction to the Solar SystemThe solar system is a very exciting thing to learn about. In this unit of work you will be learning about a lot of information pertaining to our solar system. Such as: what is our solar system? What does it contain? How do the planets look and what are they made up of? These are just a few questions which we will be answering.
A good idea will be to start collecting pictures relevant to the solar system. You will be instructed more about this in class. What is the solar system? The solar system consists of the Sun together with the eight planets and other celestial bodies that orbit the Sun. Some celestial bodies found in the solar system are: 1. the planets 2. asteroids 3. meteoroids 4. meteorites 5. meteors/ shooting stars 6. comets 7. stars which includes the sun Remember to distinguish between these different celestial bodies. Refer to the PowerPoint and remember to collect pictures this will help to make the understanding of this unit much easier.
Meteorite Hits RussiaHow alarming is this! We were learning about meteorites on Wednesday and a meteorite hits Russia within the same week!
The facts of the incident are still being uncovered and it is determined that it was a meteor shower and not just the impact of a meteorite. Some 400 people are believed to be injured or damaged from the incident. The picture above shows the trail left by the meteorite in the sky before it landed. Continue reading more from this website: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/bc6cc152-7749-11e2-9ebc-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2KzUUWzLp The Russian academy of scientist said that the meteorite, estimated at 10 tonnes, came hurtling into the earth’s atmosphere at 54,000 km an hour, bursting into fragments about 50km above ground. It broke apart about 50 miles from Chelyabinsk, 950 miles east of Moscow, shattering glass and setting off car alarms across the area. The meteorite left a streak of white smoke in its wake that was visible from up to 200km away in Yekaterinburg in the Urals, while damage from the fall was also reported as far south as Kazakhstan. Planets of the Solar SystemThe solar system is home to eight planets. These planets can be classified into two categories: the terrestrial planets and the gas giants. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are solid and have rocky surfaces therefore, they are known as terrestrial or Earth like in comparison. The planets after Mercury are the gas giants - as the name implies they are very huge and composed of gas. These planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Remember to collect pictures of the planets, as you do your studying; look at the pictures they will help you a lot with remembering the physical characteristics of each. For example when you look at a picture of Mercury you will distinctly notice the very rocky surface full of craters - no other planet has a surface like this (it looks like our Moon) To the right is the PowerPoint which we will be doing in our subsequent classes. Remember this PowerPoint only mentions the main points which we will be discussing. I will be calling out more detailed notes for you in class. The solar system song also posted on the right side of this page is an easy way to remember some characteristics of each planet. Girls please remember that a blog is started about the planets of the solar system. Feel free to participate. |
Luminous & Non-LuminousObjects in the solar system can be described as luminous and non - luminous. A luminous object is one which produces it own light or heat.
A non-luminous object does not produce its own light and heat but reflects the light from a luminous object. A non luminous object may appear to be shining or producing light when it actually is not. For example our Moon is a non - luminous object, it reflects the light from our Sun which is a luminous object as it produces it own light. Planets, meteors, comets and other moons are non luminous objects. Stars are luminous. POPULAR WEBSITESIn this section of the page I will be posting links which you all can visit to find out more cool information about the solar system.
We all know about NASA - the space exploration ambassadors of the world. Here is a NASA site which has a lot of information about the solar system, the planets and space exploration. Have Fun!!! Here is the link you may need to copy and paste it into your browser. http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm When you get to the site be sure to check out the tab marked 'Planets" on the left hand side of the screen. Hello Girls
Below is the completed version of the Powerpoint which has all the planets of the solar system. Remember to collect your pictures - its a great way to help you remember the characteristics of the solar system!
Fusion in the SunIn this class we learnt that fusion is the name of the process which fuels the sun or gives the sun the energy which is needed so much on Earth. Some key points which we were introduced to were:
On Earth this energy is received as solar energy and it is the most important form of energy on Earth. Solar energy is what plants use in PHOTOSYNTHESIS and it therefore fuels our food chains. The energy from the sun also WARMS the Earth and provides LIGHT on Earth Below is the video which we looked at in class which describes fusion as well as another about some fun facts of the sun!
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