PV Gap

Peggy Said:

information about solar system?

We Answered:

The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by gravity, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. Of the retinue of objects that orbit the Sun, most of the mass is contained within eight relatively solitary planets whose orbits are almost circular and lie within a nearly-flat disc called the ecliptic plane. The four smaller inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, also called the terrestrial planets, are primarily composed of rock and metal. The four outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, also called the gas giants, are composed largely of hydrogen and helium and are far more massive than the terrestrials.

The Solar System is also home to two regions populated by smaller objects. The asteroid belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter, is similar to the terrestrial planets as it is composed mainly of rock and metal.

The Sun is the Solar System's star, and by far its chief component. Its large mass (332,900 Earth masses) produces temperatures and densities in its core great enough to sustain nuclear fusion, which releases enormous amounts of energy, mostly radiated into space as electromagnetic radiation, peaking in the 400–to–700 nm band we call visible light.

The four inner or terrestrial planets i.e. Mercury , Venus, Earth,and Mars have dense, rocky compositions, few or no moons, and no ring systems. They are composed largely of refractory minerals, such as the silicates which form their crusts and mantles, and metals such as iron and nickel, which form their cores. Three of the four inner planets (Venus, Earth and Mars) have atmospheres substantial enough to generate weather; all have impact craters and tectonic surface
features such as rift valleys and volcanoes.

Asteroids are mostly small Solar System bodies composed mainly of refractory rocky and metallic minerals.

The four outer planets, or gas giants (sometimes called Jovian planets), collectively make up 99 percent of the mass known to orbit the Sun.

Comets are small Solar System bodies, typically only a few kilometres across, composed largely of volatile ices. They have highly eccentric orbits, generally a perihelion within the orbits of the inner planets and an aphelion far beyond Pluto.

The centaurs are icy comet-like bodies with a semi-major axis greater than Jupiter (5.5 AU) and less than Neptune (30 AU). The largest known centaur, 10199 Chariklo, has a diameter of about 250 km.


For reference visit the following site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_syste…

Alma Said:

Can you give me information 8 planets in our solar system?

We Answered:

Our sun - one of the million (trillion billion - wateva) stars we have - the closest to us within so many light years
Mercuy -http://www.kidscosmos.org/kid-stuff/mercury-facts.html
Venus - the hottest of all - tho not the closest
Earth - Habbited planet that we no of atm
Mars - the rusty planet, red planet.
Jupiter - the biggest of our solar system
Saturn - the one with massive rings (playr :P )
Uranus - the other gas planet - with rings - biggest gas - Methane (uranus - your anus - methan - get it :P no joke tho)
Neptune - http://www.kidscosmos.org/kid-stuff/mercury-facts.html
Pluto - well the dwarf planet now - with its moon charon
and planet bigger than pluto is Eris
dont no bout couple of then - look on the websites i gave you
there is also a planet - "X" and also called Nibiru which has a weird orbit - http://www.sitchin.com/imagesB/nibiru2.jpg
and we are gunna die from this - dont worry people say we were gunna die loads of times - http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1R2SUNC_enGB356&q=nibiru+2012&meta=&aq=0&oq=nibiru+&fp=a73fa2ac306dd28e

Phyllis Said:

Does anyone have information on Kuiper's Belt or the Oort cloud which surrounds our solar system

We Answered:

The Kuiper Belt is a disk-shaped region past the orbit of Neptune extending roughly from 30 to 50 AU from the Sun containing many small icy bodies. It is now considered to be the source of the short-period comets.

Occasionally the orbit of a Kuiper Belt object will be disturbed by the interactions of the giant planets in such a way as to cause the object to cross the orbit of Neptune. It will then very likely have a close encounter with Neptune sending it out of the solar system or into an orbit crossing those of the other giant planets or even into the inner solar system.

There are presently nine known objects orbiting between Jupiter and Neptune (including 2060 Chiron (aka 95 P/Chiron) and 5145 Pholus; see the MPC's list). The IAU has designated this class of objects as Centaurs. These orbits are not stable. These objects are almost certainly "refugees" from the Kuiper Belt. Their future fate is not known. Some of these show some cometary activity (ie, their images are a little fuzzy indicating the presence of a diffuse coma). The largest of these is Chiron which is about 170 km in diameter, 20 times larger than Halley. If it ever is perturbed into an orbit that approaches the Sun it will be a truly spectacular comet.


The Oort cloud is an immense spherical cloud surrounding the planetary system and extending approximately 3 light years, about 30 trillion kilometers from the Sun. This vast distance is considered the edge of the Sun's orb of physical, gravitational, or dynamical influence.
Within the cloud, comets are typically tens of millions of kilometers apart. They are weakly bound to the sun, and passing stars and other forces can readily change their orbits, sending them into the inner solar system or out to interstellar space. This is especially true of comets on the outer edges of the Oort cloud. The structure of the cloud is believed to consist of a relatively dense core that lies near the ecliptic plane and gradually replenishes the outer boundaries, creating a steady state. One sixth of an estimated six trillion icy objects or comets are in the outer region with the remainder in the relatively dense core.

Dwight Said:

My 7 yr old daughter would like information on the solar system and space in general?

We Answered:

NASA has a kids' website she might enjoy exploring. It has quizzes, interactive games and colourful Flash animations to make the learning interesting.

There is a slideshow about the 3-man crew of Expedition 13 on the International Space Statiion, for example. And another sequence called Back To The Moon which details plans to return to the Moon and what is involved on that.See link below.

In London, a visit to the Planetarium at Baker Street would enthuse her. It is next door to Madame Tussaud's Waxworks

In New York visit The Children's Museum of Utica, New York, also known as The Children's Museum of History, Natural History, Science and Technology, which is a hands-on learning center with emphasis on local history, environmental science, the arts, and space science.

Located in Utica, New York, USA, the Museum is open from 9:45 am to 3:45 pm, every day except Sunday and Wednesday.

In 2002, the Children's Museum became the only museum in the country to be adopted by NASA and the Department of Energy's Office of Science. Its interactive exhibits are designed to provide an educationally enjoyable environment.

Location
311 Main Street
Utica, NY 13511
USA

Here is an article about the Utica experience

Museum gives kids taste of traveling through space
Floor of Children's Museum a haven for future explorers
Wed, Jul 13, 2005
JESSICA NOTEBAERT
Observer-Dispatch

UTICA -- As NASA counted down to this afternoon's expected launch of Discovery, kids got their own taste of space at the Children's Museum on Tuesday.

The fourth floor of the museum is a haven for lovers of space. Video clips of NASA's space exploration run constantly, posters and newspaper clippings of historic launchings adorn the walls, and scaled-down models of space equipment spot the room.

Interest in today's anticipated launch generated increased traffic in the museum recently, Executive Director Marlene Brown said.
"People love our space exhibit," Brown said. "Sometimes people come in and
just want to see the fourth floor."

Verdi Riversong of Utica came to the museum as part of his fifth birthday celebration. In between taking a "ride" in the museum's airplane and looking at a model of the solar system, Verdi checked out the spacecraft models in the NASA exhibit.

"I like lots of things that go fast," he said. "Spaceships go fast and there's fire at the rockets."

Since December 2002, the museum has benefited from its adoption by NASA and the Department of Energy's Office of Science. The two organizations regularly provide unique, interactive exhibits that stimulate children's interest and help quench their curiosity about space.

Recently, NASA set up a trailer outside the museum to supplement the space exhibits inside. The trailer was meant to give visitors an inside look at what it felt like to travel through space.

"That brought in a lot of people and we were really happy we got it," Brown said. "It only went into 20 cities and for us to be one of them is great for the community."

Brown said one of the most important aspects of the exhibit is helping children understand the connections between space and their every day life. To further that lesson, Brown teaches children that going into space is just another type of exploring, just like hiking, looking through an attic, or taking a plane ride.

"We are a nation of explorers," Brown said. "We came to this country to explore. Kids are amazing. They love exploring."

For Carly Cabral, 4, of New Hartford, getting the chance to do some hands-on exploring of her own made her visit to the Children's Museum enjoyable. Apart from dressing up in police officer and firefighter gear, the airplane in the Space Science Program was Carly's favorite part, she said.

"I got to go in the airplane," she said. "I got to check out the stuff. It was good."

Parents gave the exhibit a thumbs-up, as well. Carly's mother, Debbie, said the museum has made big strides in recent years, in part due to the addition of the space exhibit.

"I think it was interesting," she said. "I haven't been here in a few years and they really added a lot." To finish out kids' visit to the space exhibit, Brown likes to push their imagination one step further and point out that they might have the same experiences as the astronauts one day.

"It will be very common for kids ten and under to go into space, to visit the International Space Station, even to live in space," Brown said.

Rosemary Said:

Where can I find the lastest information on our Solar System?

We Answered:

wiki. the one and only tool needed for in depth research

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_syste…

try clicking on the planets at the very bottom of the page too.

Jaime Said:

What is a good website to find information on The Solar System?

We Answered:

And there is always good ole Wikipedia