Earth, Moon, & Sun System

Earth
(Physical Characteristic)

• Approximately 149,597,890 km (92,955,820 miles) or 1 AU from

the Sun
• Diameter at the equator is 12,756 km (7,926 miles), and its
circumference is 40,075 km (24,901 miles)
• Mass is 5.9737 x 1024 kg (6.58 x 1021 tons)
• Gravity is 9.8 m/s2
• Density is 5.515 g/cm3
• The average temperature is 14oC (57oF) and ranges from -89oC –
58oC (-128oF  136oF)
• Atmosphere consists of 78% Nitrogen (N2), 21% Oxygen (O2)
and 1% of other gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
• Orbits the Sun in 365.24 Earth days
• Rotates in 24 hours
• Tilted 23° on its axis  reason for the seasons
• Has three layers - crust, mantle, and core
 Earth
(Special Features)

• Ideally situated away from the sun life can exist

• Has oceans that help maintain a stable temperature
• Has a molten iron core that generates a magnetic
field around the planet  helps protect the planet
from the harmful effects of solar winds and cosmic
rays
• Has oxygen which is essential for life
• Has an ozone layer (composed of O3) that resides in
the stratosphere  absorbs harmful UV light
 Earth
(Seasons)
• Patterns of temperature changes and other weather trends over the
course of a year are known as seasons
• Results from Earth’s 23° tilt on its axis and its orbit relative to the
Sun
– Equinox – sunlight shines equally on the northern and southern hemispheres
– Solstice – sunlight is at its maximum in one hemisphere and a minimum in the
other hemisphere Which hemisphere
Fall
September Equinox would have these
particular seasons?
October August

July
November

Winter Summer
December Solstice 148,000,000 km 153,000,000 km June Solstice

January May

February April
Not to scale
Spring
March Equinox
 Moon
(Physical Characteristic)

• Approximately 384,400 km (239,000 miles) from the Earth

• Diameter is 3479 kilometers (2162 miles), which is about 1/4
the diameter of the Earth
• Mass is 7.35 x 1022 kilograms (8.1 x 1019 tons), which is about
1/80 the mass of the Earth.
• Gravity is 1.6 m/s2, which is about 1/6 the gravity of Earth
• Density is 3.340 g/cm3
• Does not have an atmosphere
• The average temperature on the surface of the Moon during the
day is 107°C and during the night, the average temperature
drops to −153°C
• Orbits the Earth in 27.3 Earth days
• Rotates in 27.3 Earth days
• Tilted 70 on its “axis”
• Orbit is tilted 50
• Has three layers - crust, mantle, and core

Image taken from: http://www.thelivingmoon.com/43ancients/02files/Moon_Images.html

 Moon
(Special Features)

• Has impact craters that are the result of small

objects from space striking the Moon’s surface
• Has mare (maria - pl.) which are large, dark plains of
solidified lava
• The same side of the Moon always faces the Earth;
this is because of tidal locking
• Is thought to have formed after a giant collision
between early Earth and a smaller space body
• Is moving away from the Earth at a rate of 3.8
cm/year
 Moon
(Phases)

• The lunar phases result from the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.
– Waxing – the phase after the new moon when the amount of reflected light
increases
– Waning – the phase when the full moon has passed and the amount of
reflected light decreases
What we see

New
Waning
Waxing
Waxing
Waning
Third
1Full
New
Moon
st Quarter
Quarter
Moon
Crescent
Crescent
Moon
Gibbous
(Again)

Moon viewer
 Moon
(Eclipses)

• An eclipse occurs when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are in line with each
other and a shadow makes the Sun or Moon seem to grow dark.
– Lunar eclipse – the phase after the new moon when the amount of reflected
light increases
– Solar eclipse – the phase when the full moon has passed and the amount of
reflected light decreases
What we see

New Moon

Moon viewer
 Moon
(Tides)

• Tides occur because the Moon’s gravity

changes the shape of Earth’s oceans
– Lunar eclipse – the phase after the new moon when
the amount of reflected light increases

What do you think

happens to the
tides when the Sun
and Moon are on
directly in line with
Earth?
 Sun
(Physical Characteristic)

• Approximately 149,600,000 km (92 million miles) from the Earth

• Approximately 1,390,000 km in diameter which is over 100 times the
diameter of the Earth
• Mass is about 2 x 1030 kilograms, which is is over 300,000 times the
mass of Earth
• Has an atmosphere
• Consists of about 70% Hydrogen, 28% Helium and 2% of metals such as
iron.
• The surface at the equator rotates once every 25.4 Earth days. The
rotation near the poles is around 36 Earth days. Also the surface swirls
in high and low pressure areas, similar to those that occur on Earth.
• Its temperature is extremely hot, with the surface being about
5000°C (9032oF) and the center core at about 15,600,000° C
(28,080,032oF)
• Has three layers - core, radiative zone,
and convection zone
• Rotates every 25.38 Earth days

Image taken from: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/23oct_superstorm.htm

 Sun
(Features)

• continually emits a stream of charged particles

consisting mostly of electrons and protons called
solar winds
• shoots out streams of high energy particles called
solar flares aurora borealis
• Contains sunspots which are spots on the photosphere
that are cooler than surrounding areas
• Prominences are huge loops of glowing gas that
extend into the corona
• Atmosphere photosphere, chromosphere, and
corona