Investigating Planets

Exploration One: Important Planatery Characteristics

Activity 1: Group the Planets and Moons

Part 1: Looking at Hands

   Is Pluto Currently Considered a Planet?
   Check out the following and then investigate on your own.

Optional:

   Check out a planet sorting game at Windows to the Universe.

Activity 3: Size, Mass, and Gravitational Force

Apollo 15 Hammer and Feather Drop Video Shuttle Launch Videos

Activity 4: Comparing Planetary Atmospheres and Temperatures

   US Environmental Protection Agency: Climate Change

   The Global Warming Debate

   PBS NOVA/Frontline Interviews: The Debate

   PBS NOW: Debating “Global Warming”

   Wikipedia: Global Warming

   Wikipedia: Global Warming Controversy

   NASA’s Earth Observatory: Global Warming

   NASA Goddard: Global Change Master Directory

Exploration Two: Distances to and among the Planets

Activity 3: Kepler’s Laws

   Kepler’s Laws I, II, and III

Exploration Three: Explorations of the Planets and Their Moons

Activity 2: Mission Particulars

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Solar System Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Missions Solar System Exploration: Missions NASA: Missions Welcome to the Planets: The Explorers

Exploration Four: Search for Life in Our Solar System

Activity 3: Water and Habitability

Images of Earth	Images of Mars	Images of Europa

Images of Earth Images of Mars Images of Europa

   NASA: Visible Earth

   Earth Observatory

   NSSDC Photo Gallery: Earth

   NSSDC Photo Gallery: Mars

   NSSDC Photo Gallery: Europa

   JPL Photojournal

   Marsquest: Rover Images

Exploration Five: Extrasolar Planets

Activity 2: Transiting Method of Finding Extrasolar Planets

Data Center: Transiting Method

Activity 3: Search the Web for Recent Discoveries

   Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia

   Planet Quest: New Worlds Atlas

Module Review

Further Explorations

   Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Solar System

   NASA: Astrobiology

Recommended Resources

   Astronomy Magazine

   Sky and Telescope