Describes the historic ideas about the orbit of the planets, provides detailed information on the known planets, looks at seasons, days, eclipses and the tides.

4. Geocentric Model http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ptolemaicsystem-small.png

5. Geocentric Model Science Focus 1: Coursebook

7. Heliocentric Model http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Heliocentric.jpg

8. Heliocentric Model Science Focus 1: Coursebook

13. http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery/vis_orb.jpg

14. http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery/outer_orb.jpg

15. Sun http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sun920607.jpg Mythology The Sun God. Greeks Called it Hellos Mass 333 400 times the mass of the Earth Diameter 1 392 000 km (109 x Earth’s diameter) Gravity 28 times that on Earth Surface Temperature 6000°C (average). From 4500 to 2000000°C up to 15000000°C in the core. Period of rotation (day) Equator 26 Earth days, poles 37 Earth days Tilt of axis 122°

16. Mercury http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Reprocessed_Mariner_10_image_of_Mercury.jpg Mythology God of travel, commerce and thieves Mass 0.056 times that of Earth Moons None Diameter 4878 km ( = 0.38 x Earth’s diameter) Surface Similar to Earth’s moon Gravity 0.38 times that on Earth Surface Temperature – 170°C to 430°C Period of rotation (day) 59 Earth days Tilt of axis 0° Distance from Sun 0.39 AU (58 million kilometres) Time to orbit Sun (year) 88 Earth days

17. Venus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Venus-real.jpg Mythology Goddess of love and beauty Mass 0.815 times that of Earth Moons None Diameter 12 103 km ( = 0.95 x Earth’s diameter) Surface Extensive cratering, volcanic activity. Gravity 0.9 times that on Earth Surface Temperature 460°C Period of rotation (day) 243 Earth days Tilt of axis 30° Distance from Sun 0.72 AU (108 million kilometres) Time to orbit Sun (year) 225 Earth days

18. Earth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg Mythology Gaia—mother Earth Mass 1.0 times that of Earth (5 980 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 kg) Moons One (‘the Moon’) Diameter 12 756 km Surface Two-thirds water, one-third land Gravity 1.0 times that on Earth Surface Temperature average 22°C Period of rotation (day) 1 Earth day Tilt of axis 23.5° Distance from Sun 1 AU (150 million kilometres) Time for light to reach Earth 8 minutes Time to orbit Sun (year) 365.25 Earth days

19. Mars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:2005-1103mars-full.jpg Mythology God of war Mass 0.107 times that of Earth Moons 2 (Phobos—diameter 23 km, Deimos—diameter 10 km) Diameter 6794 km ( = 0.53 xEarth’s diameter) Surface Soft red soil containing iron oxide (rust). Cratered regions, large volcanoes, a large canyon and possible dried-up water channels. Gravity 0.376 times that on Earth Surface Temperature – 120°C to 25°C Period of rotation (day) 1.03 Earth days Tilt of axis 25.2° Distance from Sun 1.52 AU (228 million kilometres) Time to orbit Sun (year) 687 Earth days Time to reach Mars 9 months

20. The terrestrial planets http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery/terr_sizes.jpg

21. Jupiter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jupiter.jpg Mythology Ruler of the Gods Mass 318 times that of Earth Moons At least 28 moons and four rings, including the four largest moons: Io, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto. These are known as the ‘Galilean’ moons. Diameter 142 984 km ( = 11.21 x Earth’s diameter) Surface Liquid hydrogen Gravity 2.525 times that on Earth Surface Temperature Cloud top –150°C Period of rotation (day) 9 hours 55 minutes Tilt of axis 3.1° Distance from Sun 5.2 AU (778 million kilometres) Time to orbit Sun (year) 11.8 Earth years

22. Saturn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Saturn_from_Cassini_Orbiter_%282007-01-19%29.jpg Mythology God of agriculture Mass 95.184 times that of Earth Moons At least 30 moons and rings in seven bands Diameter 120 536 km (= 9.45 x Earth’s diameter) Surface Liquid hydrogen Gravity 1.064 times that on Earth Surface Temperature – 180°C Period of rotation (day) 10 hours 39 minutes Tilt of axis 26.7° Distance from Sun 9.6 AU (1400 million kilometres) Time to orbit Sun (year) 29.5 Earth years

23. Uranus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Uranusandrings.jpg Mythology Father of Saturn Mass 14.54 times that of Earth Moons At least 21 moons and 11 rings Diameter 51 200 km (= 4.01 x Earth’s diameter) Surface Likely to be frozen hydrogen and helium Gravity 0.903 times that on Earth Surface Temperature – 220°C Period of rotation (day) 17 hours 14 minutes Tilt of axis 98° Distance from Sun 19.2 AU (2875 million kilometres) Time to orbit Sun (year) 84 Earth years

24. Neptune http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Neptune.jpg Mythology God of the sea Mass 17.15 times that of Earth Moons 8 moons and 5 rings Diameter 49 528 km ( = 3.88 x Earth’s diameter) Surface Frozen hydrogen and helium Gravity 1.135 times that on Earth Surface Temperature – 220°C Period of rotation (day) 16 hours 7 minutes Tilt of axis 29.3° Distance from Sun 30.1 AU (4500 million kilometres) Time to orbit Sun (year) 165 Earth years

25. The gas giants http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery/gas_sizes.jpg

26. Pluto (dwarf planet) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pluto.jpg In July 2015 (10 years after launch) the New Horizons spacecraft will capture the first up-close imagery of Pluto, its moons and a region of the outer solar system called the Kuiper Belt. Mythology God of the underworld Mass 0.002 times that of Earth Moons 1 (Charon) Diameter 2300 km ( = 0.18 x Earth’s diameter) Surface Icy crust of methan Gravity 0.061 times that on Earth Surface Temperature – 223°C Period of rotation (day) 6 Earth days Tilt of axis 122° Distance from Sun 39.6 AU (5914 million kilometres) Time to orbit Sun (year) 249 Earth years

27. Eris (dwarf planet) Eris (centre) and Dysnomia (left of centre). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Eris_and_dysnomia2.jpg Discovered January 5, 2005, from images taken on October 21, 2003 Mythology Greek goddess of strife Mass Moons 1 (Dysnomia) Diameter 2600 km (± 400 km) Surface Gravity Surface Temperature − 243 and −217 degrees Celsius Period of rotation (day) > 8 h? Tilt of axis Distance from Sun 37.78 AU to 97.56 AU Time to orbit Sun (year) 556.7 Earth years

28. http://www.solarviews.com/cap/misc/obliquity.htm Comparing tilt of axis

29. The planets to scale. The rings of the gas giants are not shown.

30. http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/gallery/solarsys_scale.jpg (Distance between objects not to scale)

31. How small are we? source: Celestia (application) (Distance between objects not to scale) Earth

32. How small are we? source: Celestia (application) (Distance between objects not to scale) Earth

41. The Moon Notice that the time for the Moon to orbit the Earth is nearly the same as the time it takes to spin once on its axis—this results in us only ever seeing the one side of the Moon from Earth. The other side is often called ‘the dark side of the Moon’ since it had never been seen until the Apollo missions. Mythology God of the night Mass 0.012 times that of Earth Diameter 3476 km ( = 0.27 x Earth’s diameter) Gravity 0.16 times that on Earth Surface Temperature – 230°C to 123°C Period of rotation (day) 27.3 days Tilt of axis 5° Distance from Earth 384,403 kilometres Time to orbit Earth 29.5 days Time to reach Moon 3 days Date first visited July 20, 1969

48. Solar eclipse, as seen from the International Space Station - March 29, 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Eclipse_fromISS_2006-03-29.jpg

52. On August 28, 2007 a total lunar eclipse will be visible in its entirety for all of Eastern Australia and New Zealand. The partial eclipse begins at 18:51, and the total eclipse occurs from 19:52 until 21:22 (EST). http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2007Aug28/TLE2007Aug28.html