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Solar System—The collection of planets and their moons in orbit around the Sun, together with smaller bodies such as asteroids, meteoroids, and comets.

Planet—Celestial body that is in orbit around the Sun, has sufficient mass to assume a round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.

Dwarf planet - A large, roughly spherical object orbiting a star, but that is not large enough to sweep out other objects from its orbit, e.g. Pluto.

Asteroid: A small rocky object orbiting the Sun.

Comet—Celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the Sun, a “tail” of gas and dust particles pointing away.

Sun - A 3rd generation star around which the Earth and other planets orbits.

Pulsar - A rotating neutron star that emits regular pulses of radio waves and other electromagnetic radiation.

Constellation - A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky as viewed from Earth, e.g. Orion, Pavo the peacock, Phoenix, the Southern Cross.

Galaxy - A collection of several 100 billion stars, gas and dust held together by gravity. E.g. the Milky Way galaxy (200 billion stars).

Universe - A collection of 100 billion galaxies.

Light year- the distance that light travels in one year
outwards from the Sun            = ±10 trillion km

Light hour - the distance that light travels in one hour outwards from the Sun.

Nuclear fusion: the process by which stars produce their energy; light atomic nuclei come together and merge to form heavier atomic nuclei, releasing energy as they do so; in the Sun, hydrogen nuclei fuse with other hydrogen nuclei to form heavier helium nuclei.

Oort Cloud: a huge cloud of icy objects (comets) surrounding the Sun at the edge of the solar system.

Proxima Centauri: 2nd closest star after the Sun.

Receiver: a device that detects radio wave signals.

SALT: the Southern African Large Telescope, the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere.

SKA: the Square Kilometer Array, the largest planned radio telescope array in the world.

Solar wind: the continuous flow of charged particles from the Sun that extends out to the far reaches of the solar system.

Spiral arm: a region of stars, gas and dust forming a curved shape spiraling out from the centre of a spiral galaxy.

Star: a massive ball of burning gas which emits energy in the form of light and heat.

Sunspot: a dark region or spot which appears on the surface of the Sun from time to time; sunspots are cooler than the rest of the Sun's surface.

Telescope: an instrument used to look at distant objects, which makes distant objects appear brighter, larger and clearer. Some telescopes collect visible light (optical telescopes); others collect radio waves (radio telescopes).

Kuiper Belt: region of space filled with trillions of small objects that lie in the outer reaches of the solar system, past the orbit of Neptune.

Astronomical unit (AU): the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, equal to around 150 million kilometers.

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E.T. The Extra Terrestrial "E.T. phone home" scene

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Space Shuttle Launch Audio - play LOUD (no music) HD 1080p

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c) The SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket - a perfect blend of curiosity, challenge and exploration!

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c) The SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket - a perfect blend of curiosity, challenge and exploration!

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The Incredible Sounds of the Falcon Heavy Launch (BINAURAL AUDIO IMMERSION) - Smarter Every Day 189

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3.a) The Beginnings of the Solar System 

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3.a) The Beginnings of the Solar System 

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By Prof Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell, astronomer who discovered PULSARS.

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We are made of star stuff: Jocelyn Bell Burnell at TEDxVienna

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b) Jocelyn Bell-Burnell wins the $3million Breakthrough Prize in Physics.

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b) Jocelyn Bell-Burnell wins the $3million Breakthrough Prize in Physics.

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Jocelyn Bell Burnell: 2018 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

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c) Jocelyn Bell-Burnell made the discovery of Pulsars in 1974. The work won the Nobel Prize in Physics, but her colleagues were named as the winners. She got nothing. 

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c) Jocelyn Bell-Burnell made the discovery of Pulsars in 1974. The work won the Nobel Prize in Physics, but her colleagues were named as the winners. She got nothing. 

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Jocelyn Bell Burnell recognised at last (UK) - BBC News - 6th September 2018

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The four giant planets have rings.

None are as spectacular as Saturn’s gorgeous rings.

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Which Planets besides Saturn have Rings – Space Facts for Kids

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Nicolaus Copernicus was the first astronomer to prove that the Sun is at the centre of the Solar System and that the planets orbit the Sun.

You must memorize the correct order of the planets.
Pneumonic:
My very educated mother just served us nine (pizzas).

Remember:
Only 8 planets & 1 dwarf planet.

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Kepler’s First Law of Motion - Elliptical Orbits  (Astronomy)

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4.a) Formation of the Sun and Solar System

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4.a) Formation of the Sun and Solar System

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4,5 billion years ago

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Did you know: How many stars exist in our solar system?

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What is nuclear fusion? How does nuclear fusion works? Nuclear fusion in the sun

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Sunspot observed by Sun-Observing satellite.

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d) Boy who built a fusion reactor at age 13 

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d) Boy who built a fusion reactor at age 13 

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How I built a nuclear reactor at the age of 13 | Jamie Edwards | TEDxCERN

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g) The most abundant element in Stars and the Universe

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g) The most abundant element in Stars and the Universe

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Discovered by Cecilia Payne

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Dr. Brian Cox - The Scale of the Solar System

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The scale of the solar system.

MATERIALS:

Tennis ball

Clay - size of a peppercorn x2

Clay - size of salt grains x2

Clay - size of poppy seeds  x2

Clay - size of a pea x1

Clay - size of a grape x1

Ruler - use to measure 1 AU

11 label tags of paper & a pen

INSTRUCTIONS:
Go outside into the corridor or stoep for this activity.

Start at one end of corridor/stoep:

1. Put the Tennis ball on the ground: this represents the Sun.

2. Measure 10 cm (1/3 AU) away from the tennis ball and put a salt-grain sized piece of clay on the floor (on a paper tag). This represents Mercury. Label the tag "Mercury".

3. Repeat this for each of the planets in your Solar System, using the photo inserted below as guide to distances between the planets. (Use appropriate sizes)

4. Remember: 1AU = 1 Ruler length.

5. Take a photo of your Solar System and send it to your teacher, together with your answers to these questions:

6. Answer the questions below:

Are the planets evenly spaced?

Is there some pattern you can find which fits what is seen?

Could you find some mathematical equation which would fit the pattern?

How does a planet's distance from the Sun relate to its temperature?

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6. Why the Earth and planets are SPHERES - gravity!

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6. Why the Earth and planets are SPHERES - gravity!

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Prof Brian Cox explains

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Why does gravity make the Earth round? - Forces of Nature with Brian Cox: Episode 1 - BBC One

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The 5 travelers (planets) in the October night sky

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The 5 travelers (planets) in the October night sky

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Southern Hemisphere

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11. Can we survive on other planets without a spacesuit?

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11. Can we survive on other planets without a spacesuit?

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Neil deGrasse Tyson on Surviving in Space without a Spacesuit

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12. Meet Astronaut Chris Hadfield aboard the ISS

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12. Meet Astronaut Chris Hadfield aboard the ISS

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Wringing out Water on the ISS - for Science!

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Astronaut Chris Hadfield Debunks Space Myths | WIRED

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Christa McAuliffe

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A rare 1986 documentary on the life of Christa Mcauliffe her story and how is remembered Narrated by Burgess Meredith

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b) If only they had a Space Programme...

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b) If only they had a Space Programme...

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Expanding Universe - Balloon Activity

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Expanding universe - balloon inflating activity

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Different types of telescopes:

Optical telescopes (e.g SALT, Hubble)

Radio telescopes (e.g. SKA)

Optical telescopes - receive light and focus by reflection using mirrors, and by refraction using lenses.

Radio telescopes - receive radio waves and focus by reflection, using a metal dish.

Good conditions of cloudless skies and limited air and light pollution are necessary for telescope use.
Sutherland in the Karoo makes an ideal observatory.

Sun Spots

The Sun's surface often has dark spots on it, called sunspots.

They are areas that are cooler than the rest of the Sun's surface.

The Sun's surface is about 5500 °C.

A typical sunspot's temperature is about 3900 °C.

Let's try to observe Sun Spots with the school telescope.

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An optical telescope with a 2,4 m diameter collecting mirror.

Photo below was taken in 2009 from the Discovery Space Shuttle

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1) The James Webb Space Telescope - launch due March 2021
2) ATLAST (Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope) - launch due 2028 will be able to search for bio-signatures such as molecular oxygen, ozone, water and methane in terrestrial exoplanets.

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Flying to the Sun: the Parker Solar Probe

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Flying to the Sun: the Parker Solar Probe

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NASA | Parker Solar Probe: It's Surprisingly Hard to Go to the Sun

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21. Asteroid, comet, meteor or meteorite?

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21. Asteroid, comet, meteor or meteorite?

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Explanatory video

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Satellites study things happening on Earth, take pictures of planets in our solar system, keep an eye on our sun and find planets elsewhere in the universe.

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Cassini spacecraft fly-by of Jupiter and Saturn (with moons)

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Cassini spacecraft fly-by of Jupiter and Saturn (with moons)

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Your satellite could help study things happening on Earth, take pictures of planets in our solar system, keep an eye on our sun, or even find planets elsewhere in the universe!

Instructions:

Decide on what equipment you will use to make your space station, spaceship or satellite.

Design on paper before you start building.

BUILD

When you've finished, show off your finished creation to the class and answer questions regarding your project.

POST-BUILD - ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

Why did you choose to build this spacecraft?

What does each part do?

Do astronauts live in your creation? Where?

What would you do differently next time to improve your spacecraft?

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NASA Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) Mission Animation [HDx1280]

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3 Nov 1957

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3 Nov 1957: The Soviet Union sends Laika , a stray dog from the streets of Moscow, into Earth orbit aboard Sputnik 2. Laika was the first animal to orbit the Earth, but died within 2 hours. She was trained for Space.  

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3 Nov 1957: The Soviet Union sends Laika , a stray dog from the streets of Moscow, into Earth orbit aboard Sputnik 2. Laika was the first animal to orbit the Earth, but died within 2 hours. She was trained for Space.  

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Let's celebrate the wonders of the Solar System with cake and a movie!

All to bring cake, eats and cooldrinks to class.