CHAPTER 2

THE SOLAR SYSTEM and the

EARTH
OBJECTIVES:
Discuss the nature of the solar system.
Explain how the forces of the solar system affect the earth
and its structures.
Appreciate the importance of space exploration gaining more
knowledge about the solar system and the different planets.

 The study of geography is focused on

Earth, particularly, on the surface of
the Earth.
Earth is only a minor member of the
solar system.
Sun is the center of the solar
system ; it is only one of the millions
of stars in the universe.

 Sun is vital to all living things

on Earth for it provides energy
that makes life on the planet .

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

It consists:

The Sun
The planets
More than 130 satellites of the planets
Comets and asteroids and;
Interplanetary medium.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

INNER SOLAR SYSTEM:
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
The main asteroids belt lies between the orbits of Mars
and Jupiter.

DISTANC
E

RADIUS
(EARTH
S)

M4ASS
(EA4RT
HS)

RO17TAT
ION17
(EARTH
S)

#
OF0.
MOON
S

ORBITA
L
INCLINA
-TION

ORBIT0.
774AL
ECCENT
RI-CITY

OBLIQU DENSI
I-TY
TY

SUN

109

332.800

25-36

-----------

-------------

-----------

1.410

MERCURY

0.30

0.38

0.05

58.8

0.2056

0.1

5.43

VENUS *0.72

0.95

0.89

244

3.394

0.0068

177.4

5.25

EARTH

1.0

1.00

1.00

1.00

0.000

0.0167

23.45

5.52

MARS

1.5

0.53

0.11

1.029

1.850

0.0934

25.19

3.95

JUPITE
R

5.2

11

318

0.411

16

1.308

0.0483

3.12

1.33

SATURN 9.5

95

0.428

18

2.488

0.0560

26.73

0.69

URAN
US

19.2

17

0.748

15

0.774

0.0461

97.86

1.29

NEPTUN
E

30.1

17

0.802

1.774

0.0097

29.56

1.64