[am4show have='p9;p58;' guest_error='Guest error message' user_error='User error message' ]

Our Planetary System

This week we’ll explore our own cosmic neighborhood — the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets that orbit the Sun. You’ll see how each world tells part of the solar system’s larger story: why Mercury is scorched and airless, why Venus spins backward, and how the outer planets became the giants they are today.

We’ll compare planetary features, orbital patterns, and atmospheres to uncover the underlying order in what at first looks like a collection of wildly different worlds. You’ll also learn how space missions — from Voyager to modern Mars rovers — have transformed our understanding of the planets.

Watch the Science Lesson

Do the Assignments

Please download the Student Handout (use the button above) for specific homework and quiz questions assigned for this week.

Homework

Work through the assigned set of review questions, quantitative problems, and quiz questions. 

Space Podcast

Students choose a space-related podcast episode to listen to and write a short summary in their journal. 

Lab Project Activity

This week, you’ll step into the role of a NASA mission engineer planning and operating a journey to Mars. In Part 1, you’ll calculate a transfer orbit, figuring out how to launch a spacecraft from Earth so it arrives at Mars when the two planets are perfectly aligned.

In Part 2, you’ll switch focus to the Mars InSight Mission, a real NASA lander that studies the interior of Mars. Using geometry and scale drawing, you’ll model how the lander’s robotic arms can reach and deploy instruments on the Martian surface.

By combining orbital mechanics and planetary engineering, you’ll discover how precision math and physics make interplanetary exploration possible!

Discovery Lab Project

This is a bonus second lab project! You will measure the rotation period of a main-belt asteroid by using  brightness data taken by a robotic telescope over several nights and constructing a light curve. As the asteroid rotates, its brightness changes due to its irregular shape and surface reflectivity. By analyzing these variations, you will determine the asteroid’s rotation period and discuss what the light curve reveals about its physical properties.