Scientists' ideas about the solar system have developed over time from ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Ptolemy, who believed the Earth was the center, to Copernicus, who proposed the Sun was the center in the 16th century. Kepler later suggested elliptical orbits and Newton developed the law of universal gravitation. In the 18th-19th centuries, Herschel discovered Uranus and Hubble showed the universe is expanding, leading to the Big Bang theory. Major advances were made through improved telescope technology by Galileo and others.

1. © Boardworks Ltd 20071 of 40

2. © Boardworks Ltd 20072 of 40
Days, years and seasons

3. 3 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Unit 7J: The Solar System and Beyond Lesson 1
Lesson Objective
•To look at how
scientists ideas
about the solar
system have
developed over time.

4. 4 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
How scientists ideas about the Solar System have
developed over time.

5. 5 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
The Hebrews: the Universe was created by God in 6 days,
beginning from a formless void.
The Greeks: Originally there was formless Chaos; this was
followed by gods who brought order to the cosmos and fought
among themselves to control it.
India: Originally there was neither form nor substance; Father Sky
and Mother Earth conceive the gods, who shape the earth (sex
among the gods is another common feature of creation stories).
Egypt: The Universe is a large rectangular box with (naturally)
Egypt at the center. The Sun-god Ra rode around the celestial river
once a day, and star lamps were suspended from the top of the
box.

6. 6 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1000BC
2000AD
0
Aristotle
He suggests that
the Earth is at
the centre of the
solar system.
(approx. 340 BC)

7. 7 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher who proposed that the
Earth was at the centre of the Solar System and that all other
objects orbited around it.
384 BC – 322 BC

8. 8 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1000BC
2000AD
0
Aristotle
He suggests that
the Earth is at
the centre of the
solar system.
(approx. 340 BC)
Ptolemy
He suggests the idea
of epicycles to
suggest how planets
move. The Earth is
still at the centre of
the Solar System.
(approx. 150 BC)
Aristarchus
He suggests the
idea of the Sun at
the centre of the
Solar System.
(approx. 200 BC)

9. 9 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Ptolemy was another ancient Greek philosopher. He noticed that
some of his observations did not fit with Aristotle’s ideas. He
suggested the idea of Epicycles to explain the way some of the
planets moved. He still put Earth at the centre of the Solar System.
150 BC

10. 10 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1000BC
2000AD
0
Nicolas
Copernicus
Suggests that the
sun is at the centre
of the Solar System.
Aristotle
He suggests that
the Earth is at
the centre of the
solar system.
(approx. 340 BC)
Ptolemy
He suggests the idea
of epicycles to
suggest how planets
move. The Earth is
still at the centre of
the Solar System.
(approx. 150 BC)
Aristarchus
He suggests the
idea of the Sun at
the centre of the
Solar System.
(approx. 200 BC)

11. 11 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
He was the first scientist to suggest that the SUN was at the
centre of the Solar System. He was also the first scientist to
correctly order the planets.
1473 - 1543

12. 12 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1000BC
2000AD
0
Nicolas
Copernicus
Suggests that the
sun is at the centre
of the Solar System.
Aristotle
He suggests that
the Earth is at
the centre of the
solar system.
(approx. 340 BC)
Ptolemy
He suggests the idea
of epicycles to
suggest how planets
move. The Earth is
still at the centre of
the Solar System.
(approx. 150 BC)
Aristarchus
He suggests the
idea of the Sun at
the centre of the
Solar System.
(approx. 200 BC)
Galileo
Made major
advances in
telescope
design.
(1594 AD)

13. 13 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Galileo Galilei was an Italian scientist. He did much work on
improving the telescope. This allowed him to see things that other
scientists could not. He was the first person to identify Sunspots.
He also was the first person to see the 4 brightest moons of
Jupiter. He also noticed that our view of Venus changes in the
same way as that of our Moon.
1564 AD – 1642 AD

14. 14 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1000BC
2000AD
0
Nicolas
Copernicus
Suggests that the
sun is at the centre
of the Solar System.
Aristotle
He suggests that
the Earth is at
the centre of the
solar system.
(approx. 340 BC)
Ptolemy
He suggests the idea
of epicycles to
suggest how planets
move. The Earth is
still at the centre of
the Solar System.
(approx. 150 BC)
Aristarchus
He suggests the
idea of the Sun at
the centre of the
Solar System.
(approx. 200 BC)
Johannes Kepler
He suggests three
laws of planetary
motion and that
orbits are ellipses
and not circles.
(1600 AD)
Galileo
Made major
advances in
telescope
design.
(1594 AD)

15. 15 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Johannes Kepler was a German scientist. He proposed three laws
to explain the movement of planets. One of his most important
ideas was that the orbits of planets were not circular. One of his
laws also suggested that planets do not always move at the same
speed. The speed was related to the planets distance from the
Sun. Both of these ideas fit in with current thinking.
1571 AD – 1630 AD

16. 16 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1000BC
2000AD
0
Nicolas
Copernicus
Suggests that the
sun is at the centre
of the Solar System.
Aristotle
He suggests that
the Earth is at
the centre of the
solar system.
(approx. 340 BC)
Ptolemy
He suggests the idea
of epicycles to
suggest how planets
move. The Earth is
still at the centre of
the Solar System.
(approx. 150 BC)
Aristarchus
He suggests the
idea of the Sun at
the centre of the
Solar System.
(approx. 200 BC)
Johannes Kepler
He suggests three
laws of planetary
motion and that
orbits are ellipses
and not circles.
(1600 AD)
Galileo
Made major
advances in
telescope
design.
(1594 AD)
Isaac Newton
Suggested the
idea of planetary
gravity.
(1700 AD)

17. 17 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Sir Isaac Newton was an English scientist who is mainly
remembered for developing the Universal Theory of Gravity. This
theory was able to explain many of Johannes Kepler’s observations
and proved his ideas to be accurate.
1643 AD – 1727 AD

18. 18 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1000BC
2000AD
0
Nicolas
Copernicus
Suggests that the
sun is at the centre
of the Solar System.
Aristotle
He suggests that
the Earth is at
the centre of the
solar system.
(approx. 340 BC)
Ptolemy
He suggests the idea
of epicycles to
suggest how planets
move. The Earth is
still at the centre of
the Solar System.
(approx. 150 BC)
Aristarchus
He suggests the
idea of the Sun at
the centre of the
Solar System.
(approx. 200 BC)
Johannes Kepler
He suggests three
laws of planetary
motion and that
orbits are ellipses
and not circles.
(1600 AD)
Galileo
Made major
advances in
telescope
design.
(1594 AD)
Isaac Newton
Suggested the
idea of planetary
gravity.
(1700 AD)
William
Herschel
Discovered
Uranus
(1781 AD)

19. 19 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
William Herschel was an English scientist who discovered the
planet Uranus by accident. It had been seen by many people before
but had always been thought to be a star. It is not visible from
Earth without the aid of a telescope and this explains why it was
not known to ‘ancient’ civilisations.
1643 AD – 1727 AD

20. 20 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1000BC
2000AD
0
Nicolas
Copernicus
Suggests that the
sun is at the centre
of the Solar System.
Aristotle
He suggests that
the Earth is at
the centre of the
solar system.
(approx. 340 BC)
Ptolemy
He suggests the idea
of epicycles to
suggest how planets
move. The Earth is
still at the centre of
the Solar System.
(approx. 150 BC)
Aristarchus
He suggests the
idea of the Sun at
the centre of the
Solar System.
(approx. 200 BC)
Johannes Kepler
He suggests three
laws of planetary
motion and that
orbits are ellipses
and not circles.
(1600 AD)
Galileo
Made major
advances in
telescope
design.
(1594 AD)
Isaac Newton
Suggested the
idea of planetary
gravity.
(1700 AD)
William
Herschel
Discovered
Uranus
(1781 AD)
Edwin
Hubble
Discovered
that the
universe is
expanding.
(1929 AD)

21. 21 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Edwin Hubble was the man who changed our view of the Universe.
He was the first person to suggest that the universe was
expanding. This idea lead to scientists developing the ‘BIG BANG’
theory for the start of the universe.
1889 AD – 1953 AD

22. 22 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1000BC
2000AD
0
Nicolas
Copernicus
Suggests that the
sun is at the centre
of the Solar System.
Aristotle
He suggests that
the Earth is at
the centre of the
solar system.
(approx. 340 BC)
Ptolemy
He suggests the idea
of epicycles to
suggest how planets
move. The Earth is
still at the centre of
the Solar System.
(approx. 150 BC)
Aristarchus
He suggests the
idea of the Sun at
the centre of the
Solar System.
(approx. 200 BC)
Johannes Kepler
He suggests three
laws of planetary
motion and that
orbits are ellipses
and not circles.
(1600 AD)
Galileo
Made major
advances in
telescope
design.
(1594 AD)
Isaac Newton
Suggested the
idea of planetary
gravity.
(1700 AD)
William
Herschel
Discovered
Uranus
(1781 AD)
Edwin
Hubble
Discovered
that the
universe is
expanding.
(1929 AD)

23. 23 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
The rotation of the Earth

24. 24 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Path of the sun
During the day, the Sun appears to move through the sky.
Remember that this happens because the Earth is spinning
on its axis.

25. 25 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
The Sun 'rises' in the east and 'sets' in the west.
Nights
During the night, we cannot see the Sun.
But the Earth is still spinning on its axis.
This means that the stars appear to move from east to west
in the sky, just as the Sun does in the day.

26. 26 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
What are hemispheres?
The Earth is divided into two hemispheres, separated by
the equator. Why do the hemispheres have different
seasons at different times of the year?
northern
hemisphere
equator
southern
hemisphere

27. 27 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
What causes seasons to change?
When the North Pole tilts towards the Sun, it is summer in
the northern hemisphere. At the same time the South Pole
is tilted away from the Sun.
If it is mid-summer in
the UK, what season
will it be in the southern
hemisphere?
Six months later the
Earth will be on the
other side of the Sun.
How does this affect
the seasons?
Winter

28. 28 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
The seasons
spring in the UK
summer in the UK
autumn in the UK
winter in the UK

29. 29 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
What is the season?

30. © Boardworks Ltd 200730 of 40
The Moon

31. 31 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
The Sun and the Moon look about the same size from
Earth, but they are not.
The Moon
The Moon takes just over 27 days to orbit the Earth.
The Sun is about 400 times wider than the Moon but is
400 times further away!
sunlight

32. 32 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
• Gravitational forces between the Moon and the Earth
keep the Moon in orbit.
• The Moon does not produce light, it reflect light from the
Sun, which is how we are able to see it from Earth.
• How much of that we can see depends upon the
position of the Moon in its orbit.

33. 33 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
The phases of the Moon

34. 34 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Phases of the Moon activity

35. 35 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1. The Moon does not produce its
own light – how can we see it?
2. How long does it take the Moon
to orbit the Earth?
3. Why do we always see the
same side of the Moon?
Questions about the Moon
4. Why do we only see a full Moon once a month?
5. What is a new Moon?
6. What force keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth?
7. Why is there very little atmosphere on the Moon?
8. How does the Moon cause tides?

36. 36 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
A solar eclipse happens when
the Moon passes between the
Sun and the Earth, casting a
shadow over the Earth.
Eclipses
The last solar eclipse over the
UK was on 11th
August 1999.
Solar eclipses are rare.
A lunar eclipse happens when
the Earth passes between the
Sun and the Moon, casting a
shadow over the Moon.
Lunar eclipses happen
in most years.

37. 37 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Where must the Moon be for a solar eclipse to take place?
What happens during a solar eclipse?
During a solar eclipse the Moon moves directly between
the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun’s rays from
reaching part of the Earth.

38. 38 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Where must the Moon be for a lunar eclipse to take place?
What happens during a lunar eclipse?
During a lunar eclipse the Moon is on the opposite side
of the Earth to the Sun, blocking the Sun’s light from
reaching the Moon.

39. 39 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1. Why do eclipses only last a few
minutes?
2. Why do you think ancient people
were frightened of eclipses?
3. What causes an eclipse of the Sun
(a solar eclipse)?
Questions about eclipses
 solar eclipse
 lunar eclipse
4. What causes an eclipse of the Moon (a lunar eclipse)?
5. What would a lunar eclipse look like if you were an
astronaut standing on the Moon?
6. Draw simple ray diagrams of a:

40. © Boardworks Ltd 200740 of 40
The Solar System

41. 41 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Labelling the planets

42. 42 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Data on the Solar System

43. 43 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Solar System timeline

44. 44 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Using the information about the Solar System, you can
plot a graph showing ‘surface temperature’ [y] against
‘distance from the Sun’ [x]:
Temperature across the Solar System
What happens
to the surface
temperature of
planets as they
get further away
from the Sun?
Predict the surface
temperature of a
planet that is
7000 km away
from the Sun.distance from the Sun (millions km)
surfacetemperature(ºC)
500
300
200
100
0
400
-100
-200
-300
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000

45. 45 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
How many Earth years?

46. 46 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Solar System quiz

47. © Boardworks Ltd 200747 of 40
Satellites and probes

48. 48 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Science fiction writers first suggested the idea that artificial
satellites could be put into orbit around the Earth.
Satellites – science fiction to science fact
For thousands of years, humans have been fascinated by the
night sky and what lies beyond it.
This only became reality in 1957 when the Soviet Union
placed Sputnik I and Sputnik II into orbit – Sputnik II carried
a live dog called Laika!
Today, artificial satellites are
frequently launched by space
shuttles and unmanned rockets.
Artificial satellites have many uses including communications,
satellite TV, weather forecasting and navigation.

49. 49 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Astronomical satellites, such as the Hubble Space
Telescope (HST), are large telescopes placed in a high
orbit far away from the effects of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Using satellites to view space
These satellites can ‘see’
much further into space
and give us images of
stars and galaxies many
light years away, like this,
the Eagle Nebula.
This means that their images
of the Universe are much
more detailed than images
observed from Earth.

50. 50 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Exploring space – mission to Mars
Our search for answers and clues to the origin of the
Solar System and the possibility of life elsewhere led
to the development of unmanned space probes.
For years, science fiction had brought us stories of
Martians – but could they really exist or have existed?
On 4th
December 1996, NASA
launched the ‘Pathfinder’ Discovery
Mission to Mars. It cost $150 million
and took 7 months to reach Mars.
When it had landed, the
‘Sojourner Rover’ buggy tested
Mars’ atmosphere, surface and
weather, amongst other things.

51. 51 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
The tests carried out by the Rover showed that Mars is
much more like the Earth than was expected.
Mission to Mars – tests on Mars
Was Mars like the Earth until something catastrophic
happened?
The tests also showed that the
crust of Mars is very similar to
continental crust on Earth and
that volcanoes had played a
part in Mars’ formation.
Why did the volcanoes stop?
Did the gases they gave
out kill any Martian life?

52. 52 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
The surface of Mars has undergone intense erosion by
massive floods and by strong winds.
Mission to Mars – erosion on Mars
Did it rain on Mars?
How much water
was there on Mars?
Was there life in the
water?

53. 53 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
1. Give two uses of artificial satellites.
Questions about satellites and probes
2. Why can the Hubble
Space Telescope ‘see’
much further into space
and produce much
clearer images than
telescopes on Earth?
3. Why didn’t NASA send astronauts to Mars instead
of the unmanned ‘Pathfinder’ Discovery Mission?
4. Give two reasons why there is unlikely to be life on Mars.

54. 54 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Is there life out there?
Although many people believe that there is intelligent life
on other planets, it is a great challenge to find this.
Should we spend lots of money looking for aliens when there
are still huge numbers of plants and animals on our planet
that we know nothing about?

55. 55 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Life on other planets?

56. © Boardworks Ltd 200756 of 40
Summary activities

57. 57 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Glossary
axis – The line that the Earth rotates about, which is
tilted at an angle of 23.5°.
lunar eclipse – The blocking of the Moon’s light, when
the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon.
luminous – An object that gives out light.
orbit – The path of a planet around the Sun, or the path
of a satellite around a planet.
satellite – Any object that orbits another object.
seasons – The different periods of a year caused by
the tilt of Earth’s axis.
solar system – The Sun and the collection of planets
and other objects orbiting around it.
solar eclipse – The blocking of the Sun’s light, when
the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun.

58. 58 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Anagrams

59. 59 of 40 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Multiple-choice quiz