The Solar System
Tour the solar system at pbs.
Video showing the time it would take to travel to each planet: Exploring Earth
3D solar system simulator: here
Toilet Paper lesson plan.
Orbit of planets simulator: here
3D solar system simulator: here
Toilet Paper lesson plan.
Orbit of planets simulator: here
The theories on the solar system have been argued throughout history. The biggest argument was between and Earth centered solar system and one that is centered around the sun:
Ptolemy and Copernicus Debate:
Ptolemy: The Earth is obviously the center of the solar system.
Copernicus: How can you believe that?
Ptolemy: Because Aristotle said so!
Copernicus: So if Aristotle said that you could jump off an Egyptian pyramid and you would float all the way up to the sky, would that make it true?
Ptolemy:.... It's in the math! I can show you! And models!
Copernicus: This ought to be good...
Ptolemy: See? From this model you can see how each planet goes around Earth and around in its own little circle, which I like to call epicycles, and then the order of the planets go like this: earth (in the center, of course), then the moon, Mercury, Venus, sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn--
Copernicus: Whoa, whoa, whoa, that can't be right!
Ptolemy: No, it can! You just add in a little trigonometry. It's all in the math, I have the proofs! Each planet goes around the earth and they each have their own little orbits, that's why we see them go in different directions from time to time.
Copernicus: Balderdash! I can explain it in a less messy way.
Ptolemy: Sure you can.
Copernicus: See, if the sun were to be in the center, then you don't have to worry about all of the little orbits of each planet. The sun would be in the center, then Mercury would go in a circle around it, then Venus, Earth (and the moon would go around the Earth), then Mars, Jupiter, then Saturn!
Ptolemy: That's ridiculous! What about the planetary retrograde?
Copernicus: Imagine the earth on a faster and smaller orbit than Mars. Eventually, Earth passes
Mars, making it look like Mars is going in a different direction. Like when you and I were racing on the track and I was kicking your backside. You were on the outside lane and I passed you, making it look like you were going backwards from my perspective. And my theory explains why Mercury and Venus never go very far from the sun.
Ptolemy:.... You weren't kicking my backside at the race...
Copernicus: Balderdash!
-by Megan Czarnecki
Ptolemy and Copernicus Debate:
Ptolemy: The Earth is obviously the center of the solar system.
Copernicus: How can you believe that?
Ptolemy: Because Aristotle said so!
Copernicus: So if Aristotle said that you could jump off an Egyptian pyramid and you would float all the way up to the sky, would that make it true?
Ptolemy:.... It's in the math! I can show you! And models!
Copernicus: This ought to be good...
Ptolemy: See? From this model you can see how each planet goes around Earth and around in its own little circle, which I like to call epicycles, and then the order of the planets go like this: earth (in the center, of course), then the moon, Mercury, Venus, sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn--
Copernicus: Whoa, whoa, whoa, that can't be right!
Ptolemy: No, it can! You just add in a little trigonometry. It's all in the math, I have the proofs! Each planet goes around the earth and they each have their own little orbits, that's why we see them go in different directions from time to time.
Copernicus: Balderdash! I can explain it in a less messy way.
Ptolemy: Sure you can.
Copernicus: See, if the sun were to be in the center, then you don't have to worry about all of the little orbits of each planet. The sun would be in the center, then Mercury would go in a circle around it, then Venus, Earth (and the moon would go around the Earth), then Mars, Jupiter, then Saturn!
Ptolemy: That's ridiculous! What about the planetary retrograde?
Copernicus: Imagine the earth on a faster and smaller orbit than Mars. Eventually, Earth passes
Mars, making it look like Mars is going in a different direction. Like when you and I were racing on the track and I was kicking your backside. You were on the outside lane and I passed you, making it look like you were going backwards from my perspective. And my theory explains why Mercury and Venus never go very far from the sun.
Ptolemy:.... You weren't kicking my backside at the race...
Copernicus: Balderdash!
-by Megan Czarnecki
Check out Pluto's Fakebook page! Learn more about the properties of the objects in our solar system.(much of the information came from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gravitationally_rounded_objects_of_the_Solar_System)
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