The Solar System

An Internet Research Project

By Jules Olaso :: Curriculum & Technology Integration Specialist
Richard Delwiche :: Scientific Content Advisor
& Marvin Lee (¯`·.¸ on Technical Support

Sun |  Mercury   |  Venus   |  Earth |  Earth's Moon |  Mars   |  Jupiter |  Jupiter's Moons |  Saturn |  Uranus |  Neptune |  Pluto |  Asteroids |  Meteors |  Comets

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Directions: In this project you and your partner will be exploring an aspect of our solar system. In this exploration you will be using the World Wide Web as your main source of research. Several links to sites are listed below where you may find answers to the questions you will be responsible for answering as well as pictures you will be asked to incorporate in a culminating report. You will also need to keep track of all the sites you utilized in answering your questions - a bibliography (a worksheet will be provided). Thus, your report will consist of the following:

1. Answered questions.
2. A cover page for your report (an example will be shown).
3. A written summary of what you have learned.
4. A developed bibliography of your resources.

Astronomy Picture of the Day
Description: Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html - 5k - 17 Jan 2002

General Questions:

1.  What are some of the reasons that pictures and models of the solar system are difficult to make
    accurate and can be misleading?

2.  What is the shape of the path of all objects orbiting the sun?  Who first described this orbit path?

3.  What force causes bodies to orbit?

4.  Approximately how old is our Solar System?  How does it compare to the probable age of the Universe?

Size range, distances [. . .]

1.  Describe terrain features of the object you have selected.  What processes and events have shaped
    these features?

2.  Compare the general data (size, orbit, year), conditions (temperature, atmosphere, gravity, etc.), and
     terrain (mountains, valleys, water) of the planet or object you have selected to Earth.

3.  Do you think people could visit the surface of this object?  If not, why not and if so, what difficulties
     would they have to deal with?

4.  What would a 100 pound person weigh on this planet or body?

5.  If the earth were 100 meters from the Sun on this scale how large would your object be?

6.  On the same scale (question #5) how far is your object from the sun?
 

Resources:

http://www.zoomwhales.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/
    This is a great site that covers a lot in a easy lay out and is EASY to read and understand.

http://www.seds.org/billa/nineplanets/overview.html
    Overview of the Solar System.

 http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/solar_system.html
    Easy to understand overview.

http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/sense/sense.html
    This site gives a great sense of the scope of the Solar System & Universe.

http://pauldunn.dynip.com/solarsystem/
    A fine site on the Solar System and its orgins and features and its place in the Milky Way galaxy.
    Thanks to Antonio Gonzalez for the URL.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/observatory/index.html
 

Bonus Questions ! !

1.  What is the interplanetary medium?

2.  What is the Oort Cloud?  What is the
     Kuiper Belt?

3.  Where does our solar system end?

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Top of Page

1.  Approximately how old is the Sun?

2.  Discuss why the Sun is the most important star in the Universe to us.

3.  How does the mass of the Sun compare to that of the Earth?

4.  What layer of the Sun does the "Solar Wind" come from and how far does it extend?

5.  What is meant by the term "differential rotation" in respects to the Sun?

6.  What is the chemical make-up of the Sun?

7.  When and where will the next solar eclipse occur?

Resources:

http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/features/planets/sun/sun.html

http://sec.gsfc.nasa.gov/sec_image_gallery.htm

http://www.seds.org/billa/nineplanets/sol.html

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/TSE2001/TSE2001.html

http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/astronomy/sun/sun.shtml

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/sun.html
 
 

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Top of Page

Mercury
 

1.  What is meant by Mercury's eccentric orbit?  What strange effects would this eccentric orbit
     have for an observer standing on the surface of Mercury?

2.  Compare Mercury's surface to that of our Moon.

3.  How many days does it take for Mercury to go around the Sun?  At what speed does it do this?

4.  Name and describe one of the largest features on Mercury?

5.  What three processes have shaped the surface of Mercury?

6.  What is the difference in the temperature of Mercury's surface when it is facing towards and away from the Sun?

Resources:

http://www.seds.org/billa/nineplanets/mercury.html

http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/features/planets/mercury/mercury.html

http://www.zoomwhales.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/mercury/

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/mercury.html

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/mercury_answer.html

1.  What are some interesting terrain features of Mars?  Include in your answer the issue of
     'plate  tectonics.'

2.  What is the atmosphere of Mars composed of?

3.  Give a general description of Mars ; such as it's location in the Solar System, diameter, mass,
     etc., as  well as what the meaning is of it's name.

4.  What countries have explored the Martian surface and what did they discover?

5.  Why do they refer to Mars as the 'Red Planet?'
 

Resources:

http://www.seds.org/billa/nineplanets/mars.html

http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmars/basicfacts.html

http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/mars.htm

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/ask/index.html

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/Curriculum.Support/Space.Science/Our.Solar.System/Mars/.index.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/mars/

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/mars.html
 

Earth
 

1.  How many layers does the Earth have and what are their names and values in terms of depth?

2.  Which layers make up most of the mass?

3.  Discuss what makes the crust of Earth so unique?

4.  What percent of the Earth is comprised of water?  Is this fact unique amongst the planets?

5.  What is the chemical composition of the Earth's atmosphere?  What important role does carbon dioxide play?

6.  What is the axis and rotation speed of our planet Earth and how fast does it orbit around the Sun?

7.  What produces the magnetic field which surrounds the Earth?

Resources:

http://www.seds.org/billa/nineplanets/earth.html

http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/features/planets/earth/earth.html

http://www.zoomwhales.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/earth/

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/earth.html

1.  Describe the physical attributes of the Moon.

2.  Who were the first Americans to travel to the moon?  When did they arrive?

3.  What was recently discovered on the Moon?  How do comets play into this discovery?

4.  How do scientist believe the Moon was formed?

5.   Give at least two examples of the effects of the gravitational pull between the Earth and the
      Moon?

6.  Discuss the two different types of terrain on the Moon?

7.  Why is the shape of the Moon unusual and what is its effect?

Resources:

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level1/moon.html

http://www.seds.org/billa/nineplanets/luna.html

http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/features/planets/moon/moon.html

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Venus
 

1.  Discuss Venus' rotation on its axis and orbit around the Sun, and what unique effects these might have if you were
    standing on the surface.

2.  If you were standing on Venus, why would the Sun appear to rise in the west and set in the east?

3.  Discuss all the varied ways that volcanism has contributed to the shaping of Venus' surface.

4.  Explain Venus,' "runaway greenhouse effect," its major contributing factor and results.

5.  Why has Venus been referred to as the 'morning' and 'evening' star?
 

Resources:

http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/features/planets/venus/venus.html

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/venus.html

http://www.nasm.edu/ceps/etp/venus/venus_facts.html

http://www.seds.org/billa/nineplanets/venus.html

http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/venus/surface.html

http://www.zoomwhales.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/venus/

1.  What are Saturn's rings made of?

2.  Who discovered that Saturn had rings?

3.  Describe the structure of Saturn's rings.

4.  Describe the weather on Saturn.

5.  What causes Saturn's aurora?  How do the auroras of Earth and Saturn compare?

6.  How many moons does Saturn have?  How many were know before voyager 1's visit?
 

Moons of Saturn:

1.  What is the brightest moon? How bright is it?

2.  Why is Iapetus only visible on one side of its orbit of Saturn?   Who noticed this?

3.  How does Titan compare to Earth in size?

4.  What is Rhea made of?  What features can be seen on it's surface?

5.  Describe Dionne's appearance.   What events in this moon's past explain this appearance?
 

Resources:

http://ringmaster.arc.nasa.gov/saturn/saturn.html

http://www.planetscapes.com/solar/eng/vgrsat.htm

http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/saturn.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/saturn/

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/saturn.html

1.  How many Earths would fit inside Jupiter?

2.  What is the most noticeable feature on the surface of Jupiter? What do astronomers believe has caused this
     feature?

3.  Compare Jupiter to the other planets.  Which planet is it most like? Why?

4.  Compare Jupiter's rings to Saturn's rings.

5.  When and how was it discovered that Jupiter has rings?

6.  Describe Jupiter's atmosphere.

7.  What event occurred on Jupiter in July of 1994?  What is the significance of this event?
 

Resources:

 
http://www.planetscapes.com/solar/eng/jupiter.htm

http://www.seds.org/sl9/sl9.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/jupiter/

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/jupiter.html

Jovian Moons: (Talk about all but focus on; Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Calisto)

 
1.  How are Jupiter's moons distributed?  What are their names?

2.  Who discovered Jupiter's moons?  Why was this discovery controversial?

3.  What problem(s) would make human exploration of Jupiter's moons difficult?

Resources:

http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/jupouter.html

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/galileo/About/galileobio.html

http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/jupiter/moons.shtml

 1.  How was Neptune discovered?

2.  When most recently was Neptune further from the sun than Pluto?

3.  How does Neptune's distance from the Sun compare to Earth's?

4.  Describe Neptunes weather. What is the great dark spot?

5.  Compare the composition of Neptune to that of Uranus.
 

Moons of Neptune

1. How many moons does Neptune have?

2.  Why is Triton's orbit unique in the solar system? What other qualities set Triton apart from other bodies
      in the solar system?

3.  Why do astronomers not believe that Triton was an original satellite of Neptune?

4.  What characteristic(s) of Proteus and the other five newly (1989) discovered moons of Neptune made them so
     difficult to detect?

5.  Describe Triton's surface.

6.  Describe Nereid's orbit.
 
 
 
 

Resources:

http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/neptune/

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/neptune.html

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/solarsys/eng/triton.htm

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/solarsys/eng/nereid.htm

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/solarsys/eng/proteus.htm

1. What color is Uranus?  What causes this coloration?
2. Compare Uranus's rings to those of other planets.
3. What is Uranus composed of?  What is its atmosphere composed of?
4. What planet(s) is Uranus most like?
5. What is unusual about Uranus's axis of rotation?

Uranus' Moons

2.  What are "Shephard Satellites?"

3.  What are Uranus's moons called? What are they named after?

4.  Have all of Uranus's moons been identified and named?

5.  What is the bright ring atop Umbriel called?

6.  Compare Ariel's surface to Umbriel?  What planet is Ariel's surface similar to?

7.  What surface feature indicate internal forces have shaped Titania?

8.  What covers the floor of many of Oberon's craters?
 

Resources:

http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/uranus.htm

http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/uranus.html

http://www.zoomwhales.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/uranus

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/uranus.html

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/solarsys/eng/ariel.htm

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/solarsys/eng/ariel.htm

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/solarsys/eng/titania.htm

Pluto
 
 

 1.  How does Pluto compare in size to other planets in the solar system?

2.   Why is so little known about Pluto? Why don't we have good pictures?

3.  How does Pluto's distance from the Sun compare to Earth's? How much does this distance vary?

 4.  Describe Pluto's orbit.

 5.  What is Pluto made of?

 6.  What is the temperature on pluto?

 7.  What was Pluto called before its discovery? How was it discovered?

 8.  What is pluto's moon? How is this moon unusual?
 

Resources:

http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/pluto/

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/pluto.html
 

1.  What is an asteroid?

2.  How do asteroids get pushed from their 'normal' orbits into Earth crossing ones?

3.  Has there been any small or large asteroid collisions on Earth? When? Where?

4.  How does an asteroid collision affect the earth?
      >Small asteroid (give examples)
      >Large asteroid (give examples)

5.  What prevents the asteroids in the belt from plunging towards the Sun and hitting the inner planets in the process?

6.  Explain what connection  asteroids may play in the extinction of dinosaurs.
 

Resources:

http://www.asteroid.net/docs/asteroid101.html

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980419c.html

http://www.dinosauria.com/jdp/impact/wham.htm

http://www.musc.edu/cando/links/comt_lnk.html

http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/news/1999/jan/17.html

http://huey.jpl.nasa.gov/~spravdo/neofaq.html

http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/astronomy/asteroids/index.shtml

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/asteroids.html

Meteors
 

1.  What is a meteor?

2.  Explain how we can see meteors.

3.  How do meteorites differ from meteors and meteoroids?

4.  What are meteor showers?

5.  When do meteor showers occur?

Resources:

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/meteoroids.html

http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/astronomy/meteor/index.shtml

http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/meteors/showers.html

http://www.corvus.com/aa01faq2.htm
 

Top of Page

1.  Explain what is a comet?

2.  What are the parts of a comet?

(copy and paste a picture off the Internet to illustrate)

3.  What is it that makes comets exciting to astronomers?  Give at least two reasons.

4.  Explain where comets came from and what important roll scientist believe they played in the formation
     of our planet Earth?

5.  As a comet approaches the Sun, does its head or tail lead the way? As it moves around from the Sun, which parts
    leads?

Resources:

http://comets.amsmeteors.org/educate/comintro.html

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/comets_answer.html

http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/astronomy/comet/index.shtml

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