Through careful observations, astronomers have found clues that help explain how the solar system

may have formed.

A- More than 4.6 billion years ago, the solar system was a cloud fragment of gas, ice, and dust.

B- Gradually, this cloud fragment contracted into a large, tightly packed, spinning disk. The disk’s
center was so hot and dense that nuclear fusion reactions began to occur, and the Sun was born.

C Eventually, the rest of the material in the disk cooled enough to clump into scattered solids.

D Finally, these clumps collided and combined to become

the nine planets that make up the solar system today.
 Comparison of Planet Distances in the
Solar System from the Sun

Astronomical unit (A.U.) is the average Light years refers to the distance
distance between the Earth and the Sun, travelled by light in one year. Light
which is approximately 93 million miles or moves at a velocity of 300 000 km
150 million kilometres every second.
If the distance from planet A to planet B
is 5.5 x 10^8 kilometer, therefore the
distance in A.U is
If the distance from planet C to the Sun is times the
distance from the Earth to the Sun, what is the distance
of planet C to the Sun in kilometers?

Distance from planet C to the Sun =

=
1. If the distance from planet t to planet S is 7.5 x 10^13 kilometer, then the
distance in light years is?

2. If the distance from planet M to planet N is 3.5 light years, what is the
distance from planet M to planet N in kilometers?
 6.09x10^-6
1.14x10^-6

1.52 2.40x10^-5
5.19 8.19x10^-5

19.18 3.02x10^-4
4.74x10^-4
 Planet in the
Solar System
A planet is a massive sphere-shaped body that orbits a
star (Sun).

The planet does not illuminate light like the stars but
can reflect light because the planet is an opaque object.
• The closest planet to the sun, approximately 57.9 km.

• The smallest planet in the solar system. Mercury’s diameter is 40% s Earth's diameter and 40%
bigger than the moon.

•The surface of Mercury is similar to the surface of the moon, with asteroid
craters and cliffs which are tens of kilometres high.

• The sky in Mercury is always appears dark because it does not have a layer of atmosphere to
scattered the sunlight.

• The temperature on its surface during the day is very high. It is approximately 480 C while the
temperature at night is extremely cold, approximately -170C
• The second closest planet to the Sun.

• Venus has a layer of atmosphere with a high content of carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is
also known as the green house‘s planet. The temperature on its surface approximately
460°C because of the high content of carbon dioxide.
• The rotation of this planet is from east to west, unlike the Earth's. This means that the
Sun rises in the west.

• According to astronomers, Venus is the Earth's twin' because its age, mass and
volume is the same as the Earth's.
• The third planet in the solar system.
• The fifth largest planet in the solar system.
• The Earth is one of the planets in the universe inhabited by living things.
• The Earth is surrounded by a layer of atmosphere made up of nitrogen gas,
oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon and water vapour.
• Earth has a layer of air known as the atmosphere, which protects the surface of
the Earth from solar wind, harmful ultraviolet rays and radiation from outer
space.
• 71% of the surface of the Earth is covered with water and 29% is covered with
land.
1. Fourth planet from the Sun.
2. Mars also known as the Red planet.
3. Mars has two moon, they are Phobos and Demos.
4. Its surface is covered with reddish sand dust.
5. It has a thin atmosphere and an extremely high content of carbon dioxide at
96%.
6. Mars has a surface area that is only 25% that of the Earth and its mass is10%
that of the Earth.
7. • If observed from Earth, the atmosphere of Mars can be divided into two
different areas. The brighter area is covered in dust and reddish sand, while
the poles contain frozen water and carbon dioxide.
1. Fifth planet from the Sun.
2. The largest planet in the solar system.
3. It has 67 moons that orbit it and the largest moon is Ganymede.
4. Its mass is almost 320 times that of the Earth, and is twice the amount of all
the planets in the solar system.
5. Jupiter is said to be the protector of the Earth, as it is able to deflect huge
objects from hitting Earth with its strong gravity.
1. Sixth planet from the Sun.
2. Second largest planet after Jupiter.
3. Saturn is made up of gases and is classified as a gas giant planet.
4. It has ring, made up of ice with small amount of rocky material and dust.
5. To date, 62 moons have been found to orbit this planet. The size of Titan,
Saturn’s biggest moon (after Ganymede) is bigger than Mercury.
1. Seventh planet from the Sun.
2. Third largest planet in solar system.
3. It is made up of ice element and rocks.
4. It has a ring like Saturn but in is thinner and darker.
5. It has 27 moons orbiting the planet.
6. Astronomers often refer to it as a‘giant gas’ planet.
7. Uranus is a unique planet because its axis of rotation is tilted, almost parallel
to its orbit around the Sun.
1. Uranus takes 84 years (time on Earth) to orbit the Sun.
1. Eight planet from the solar system.
2. Methane gives the blue colour to Neptune.
3. Also classified as a ‘giant gas’ planet.
4. Takes the longest time to orbit the Sun that is 165 years (Earth time).
5. Takes almost 165 years (time on Earth) to orbit the Sun.
6. Being the farthest in the solar system, the temperature on its surface is extremely
cold.(-201 ˚C)
The Relationship between Density and Gravitational Pull
of the Planets
The further a planet is from the Sun, the more time it needs to orbit the Sun.
All planets in the solar
system rotate on their axis
at different angles
 All these planets rotate
from west to east except
Venus and Uranus.
Venus rotates from east
to west while Uranus
rotates on its side.
Exercise