Handout 2 1 2 The Outer Planets Matching

Handout 2 (1 -2) The Outer Planets

Matching a. 1. 2. 3. 4. outer planets asteroid belt gas giant Pluto b. c. d. a planet with a deep and massive gaseous atmosphere the planets farthest from the sun; include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto the smallest and usually most distant planet; differs from other outer planets a ring of debris that separates the inner planets from the outer planets

5. How do the gas giants compare with the terrestrial planets? l Gas giants are larger and less dense.

6. Compared with the terrestrial planets, the gas giants ____________ have more gravity, which helps them retain gases ____.

7. The thick atmosphere of the gas giants is made up of ________. hydrogen and helium

8. The gas giants have ring systems that are made up of ________. dust and icy debris

Jupiter

5 th planet 9. Jupiter is the ____ from the sun.

10. Jupiter’s mass is more than 300 ____ times that of Earth.

11. How long is Jupiter’s orbital period? l Almost 12 years

12. How often does Jupiter rotate on its axis? l 9 hours 50 minutes- fastest of all planets

moons 13. Jupiter has at least 60 ______, four of which are the size of small planets.

l 92% (much like the sun) 14. How much of Jupiter’s atmosphere is composed of hydrogen and helium?

15. Jupiter’s atmosphere is much like the atmosphere of the ____. sun

16. Why didn’t Jupiter become a star? l Not have enough mass for nuclear fusion to begin.

17. How does Jupiter’s large mass affect its interior temperature and pressure? 3860°F l The temperature and pressure inside Jupiter are much greater than inside Earth. 1700°F

Saturn

18. How far is Saturn from the sun? l It is the sixth planet from the sun.

19. How long is Saturn’s orbital period? l 29. 5 years

20. How many moons does Saturn have? l at least 30

21. How large is Titan, Saturn’s largest moon? l half the size of Earth s ’ n r u t a S n o o M s ’ h t r Ea n o o M

22. Saturn, like the planet _______, Jupiter is made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium and has a rocky, iron core.

23. Saturn is the least dense ______ planet in the solar system.

24. Saturn is known for its rings ______, which are two times the planet’s diameter.

25. Like Jupiter, Saturn has ____ of colored clouds. bands

Uranus

seventh 26. Uranus is the ____ planet from the sun and the third largest planet in the solar system.

27. Why is Uranus a difficult planet to study? l It is so far from the sun (3 billion km. )

28. Uranus has at least _____ 24 moons and at least 11 small rings.

29. The orbital period for Uranus is almost __ 84 years.

30. Although most planets rotate with their axis perpendicular to their orbital planes, Uranus’s axis is almost parallel ____to the plane of its orbit.

31. How often does Uranus rotate? l About 17 hours

32. The planet’s bluegreen color indicates that the atmosphere may contain significant amounts helium of ____, in addition to hydrogen and methane.

Neptune

33. Neptune is the ______ eighth planet from the sun and is similar to Uranus in size and mass.

34. Neptune’s orbital period is nearly 164 years, and the planet rotates about every ____ 16 hours.

35. Neptune has at least _______ eight moons and possibly four rings.

Planets and their Rings n r u t Sa Uran us Nept un e r e t i Jup

Pluto

ninth “planet” 36. Pluto is the _____ from the sun.

37. Pluto’s orbit is an unusually elongated and tilted ______. ellipse

38. How does Pluto compare with the other planets in terms of its size and distance from the sun? l It is the smallest and farthest planet from the sun.

39. What is Pluto made of? l Frozen methane, rock, and ice

39. What is Pluto made of? l Frozen methane, rock, and ice

Pluto for Planethood!

Kuiper Belt

How do you pronounce “Kuiper Belt”? !

40. Describe the Kuiper belt. l A region of the solar system that is just beyond the orbit of Neptune and that contains small bodies made mostly of ice.

41. Name two objects that have been found beyond Pluto. l Ice/rock objects similar to Pluto but smaller

The End