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Chapter 3 - The Planetar System

The document discusses the classification of planets in the solar system, including classical planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn), discovered planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto), terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars), and gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). It highlights the characteristics of these planets, such as the solid nature of terrestrial planets and the gaseous composition of gas giants, as well as notable facts about each planet. Additionally, it mentions trans-Neptunian objects and unique features of specific planets like Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Earth, and Uranus.

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16 views3 pages

Chapter 3 - The Planetar System

The document discusses the classification of planets in the solar system, including classical planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn), discovered planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto), terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars), and gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). It highlights the characteristics of these planets, such as the solid nature of terrestrial planets and the gaseous composition of gas giants, as well as notable facts about each planet. Additionally, it mentions trans-Neptunian objects and unique features of specific planets like Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Earth, and Uranus.

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aaravnaik411
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 3 – Planetary System

What are Classical planets ?


Classical planets are those planets which are in continuous motion , rising and setting at
different times .
Sun ,Moon, Mercury ,Venus , Mars ,Jupiter and Saturn are classical planets.

Why is the sun and the Moon included in the classical planets ?
The Sun and moon move in the sky, hence they are included in the classical planets.

What are discovered planets ?


Due to the availability of powerful telescopes and instruments new planets were
discovered in the solar system. These were called discovered planets.
Uranus , Neptune and Pluto are discovered planets.

How was Uranus discovered ?


Sir Frederick William Herschel was scanning the skies with his self-made telescope and
saw an object that appeared out of place and behaved like a planet and revolved round
the sun .

Uranus is named after Greek God of the sky.

Who discovered planet Neptune ?


John Couch Adams and Urban Le Verrier predicted Neptune’s location and orbit and
Johan Galle telescopically discovered it in The Berlin Observatory ( Germany ) .

Neptune was named after God of the Oceans.

In February 1930,Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto from Lowell


Observatory ,Arizona.

Pluto was named after Roman God of the dead and the underworld .

What are Terrestrial planets ?


Terrestrial planets are solid planets which have land on them and are located between
the Sun and the asteroid belt.
Mercury ,Venus ,Earth and Mars are Terrestrial planets.

Write the characteristics of the Terrestrial planets


*These planet are made up of rocks or metals with a hard surface.
*They have surface features such as valleys , volcanoes and craters .
*All these planets have molten heavy metal core.
*All these planets are smaller ,faster moving and hotter planets of our system.
*These planets have very few Moons orbiting around them.

Mercury and Venus having no moons


Earth has one Moon
Mars has two Moons

What are Gas Giants ?


Gas Giants are the planets which are entirely made up of gases like Hydrogen and
Helium with traces of water , methane ,ammonia and other hydrogen compounds.
Jupiter , Saturn ,Uranus and Neptune are Gas Giants.
Write the characteristics of the Gas Giants .
*These planets are entirely made up of gases and have no hard surface for any
spacecraft to land on.
*Gas Giant planets have a rocky core with the presence of metal alloy.
*Majority of its mass is in the form of gases like Hydrogen and Helium .
*All these planets are bigger ,faster moving and are colder planets of our system.
*All these planet are orbiting outside the asteroid belt.
*Gas Giants have huge number of solid Moons and massive ring systems composed of
dust and icy rocks encircling them.

What are trans –Neptunian objects ?


Any minor planet of the solar system that orbits the Sun beyond the planet Neptune falls
in the group of trans –Neptunian objects (TNO).
Pluto, Eris, Haumea and Makemake are some TNO’s

Pluto and Eris are the largest TNO’s

Why is Venus the hottest planet in the solar system ?


Venus has the thickest atmosphere causing the highest global warming making it the
hottest planet.
Global warming was discovered on planet Venus.

Why Mercury does not experience seasons ?


Mercury’s axis of rotation is tilted just 2 degrees ,so it spins perfectly straight and
upright .

Why is planet Jupiter called the failed star ?


Jupiter evolved with the Sun as its twin star but did not have enough internal pressure
and temperature to trigger nuclear fusion and cooled off and is now recognized as a
planet.

Planet Saturn has a special property – Its density is less than water. This planet is so light
that it can float on an ocean of water.

Planet Earth has life on it . Plant life and animal life exists on planet Earth.
Earth is 150 million Kms from the Sun.

Planet Mars is most visited and studied .

Mars was evolved from some sort of life forms millions of years ago .

The planet that was believed to be a failed star. – Jupiter

Saturn has density less than water.

Uranus is called a fallen down planet.


The planet Uranus, whose axis of rotation is parallel to the plane of the solar system as it
is tilted to an angle of 97.77 degree . Therefore Uranus is called a fallen down planet.

Planet Uranus experiences weird seasons.


Because of its tilt ,this planet has one pole in darkness for 42 years then in sunlight for
the next 42 years thus causing weird seasons.

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