What are the general characteristics of the inner planets?
metallic cores, thinner atmospheres, rocky surfaces
Which inner planet has the thinnest atmosphere making for really hot days and very cold nights?
Mercury
What is the force that attracts two objects towards each other?
gravity
One astronomical unit is equal to:
150 million km/ 93 million miles
Huge chunks of rock and metal believed to be left over pieces from the early solar system
What is an asteroid?
What is the "Red Planet"?
Mars
The hottest planet in the solar system and "Earth's Twin"
Venus
What is inertia?
the tendency of an object to resist any change in its motion
What is a light year?
the distance light travel in one year
Objects made of ice, gas, and dust, that orbit the sun
What are comets?
What is a moon?
a celestial object that revolves around a planet
Which inner planet has the shortest day (rotation)?
Earth
An object at rest...
wants to stay at rest
How far is the earth from the sun?
1 AU
Where are meteors found?
burning up in the atmosphere
What is a planet?
A celestial object that revolves around a star, has a nearly spherical shape, and has cleared its neighborhood
What is the largest planet in our solar system?
Jupiter
How does the mass of an object affect its gravitational pull?
more mass = more gravity
What is the distance of one light year?
9.46x10^12 km (9.46 trillion km)/ 6 trillion miles
Between which planets can you find most asteroids?
Between Mars and Jupiter
What is a solar system?
A star and all the objects that travel around it
These planets rotate faster than the terrestrial planets
Outer planets/ gas planets
Who proposed that gravity and inertia combine to keep planets in orbit?
Sir Isaac Newton
How far is Neptune from the sun?
30 AU
What are the three main parts of a comet?
Coma, nucleus, and tails