Our Solar System

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Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, is the second largest planet in our solar system.

It is often called the ringed planet because many rings of dust and rocks surround it.

Saturn also has over 31 moons.

Some of Saturn’s rings

Saturn with some of

its moons

Titan is a moon of Saturn that may have some

Conditions necessary for life! The picture on

the right shows an artist’s drawing of how Titan

might have looked when the Cassini-Huygen’s

probe dropped into its atmosphere in Dec., 2004.

Slide 10

Uranus

Black rings

Uranus is a very unusual planet because it sits on its side with north and south

poles sticking out the sides. It rotates around this axis, making it look like a ball

rolling around in a circle around the Sun.

some of Uranus’s moons

Slide 11

Neptune

Tiny Dark Moon

Neptune, usually the eighth planet from the Sun, is a very cold place.

Occasionally, Pluto crosses Neptune’s orbit and becomes the eight planet.

Its bluish color comes from its atmosphere of methane gas.

Slide 12

Pluto

Clearest view to date

Of Pluto and Charon

Pluto, usually the ninth planet from the Sun, is the smallest planet in our solar system.

Some scientists believe that Pluto once was one of Neptune’s moons, and that it

pulled out away from Neptune and made its own orbit.

Slide 13

Comets

Comet Halley in 1910

Comets are sometimes called dirty snowballs or "icy mudballs".

They are a mixture of ices (both water and frozen gases) and dust that for

some reason didn't get incorporated into planets when the solar system was formed.

This makes them very interesting as samples of the early history of the solar system.

Comets have

elliptical orbits.

When we see a comet, we

are seeing the tail of the comet

as comes close to the Sun.