Lesson Eight

Neptune and Pluto

Neptune Notes

~ Neptune is the 8th planet from the Sun

~ Named after the God of the seas

~ Atmosphere: 74% hydrogen, 25% helium, with traces of methane, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen

~ Neptune is an ice giant

Pluto Notes

~ Pluto is a dwarf planet

~ Named after Roman God of the Underworld

~ Not considered a planet in our solar system

~ Sometimes it crosses orbits with Neptune

a.  The celestial entity must be in orbit around the Sun.

b.  It has sufficient “self-gravity,” or gravitational pull on itself that it assumes a spherical shape.

c.  It has cleared the neighbourhood of its orbit of any other space debris.