Module 4: Astronomy - The Solar System

All of the planets in a rowWhile you may consider the place that you rest your head at night to be your home, you belong to a bigger, more complex home in the universe - the Solar System. In this module, you will explore this larger address. You will begin by exploring how scientists believe the Solar System formed from a contracting nebula some 4.6 billion years ago. Then, you will begin with the planet closest to the Sun and travel outward to the remote reaches of the Solar System, studying characteristics of each of the eight planets. In addition, you will explore dwarf and other members of the Solar System, like meteors, comets, asteroids, and trans-Neptunian objects. All of these celestial objects have their own systems of classification to help organize and structure their study.

Getting Started

Before you begin your study of the Solar System in this module, take a few moments to consider the following questions: how has your perception of the Solar System changed since you were a small child? Has your idea of your place in the Solar System changed as you have grown to a young adult? It may change even more as you learn about Earth's relative size and impact in the universe.

 

Key Vocabulary


To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

accretion Jovian planet regolith
asteroid Kuiper belt revolution
asteroid belt lunar eclipse rotation
aurora maria semidiurnal tide
chromosphere meteor solar eclipse
comet meteorite solar flare
core meteoroid Solar Nebula Theory
corona neap tide solar prominence
coronal mass injection nebula solar wind
differential rotation nuclear fusion solstice
diurnal tide Oort cloud spring tide
dwarf planet partial eclipse sunspot
equinox photosphere terrestrial planet
highlands planetesimal total eclipse
impact crater protoplanet Trans-Neptunian object
impact theory protosun