UNIT 2 CULMINATING TASK
SPACE EXPLORERS
It takes three days to send a spacecraft to the Moon.
Imagine how long would it take to send astronauts to the Sun. What about the other
planets in our solar system? How far away from the Sun are they?
de
PLANET
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
neptune
AVERAGE DISTANCE
FROM THE SUN (AU)
0.387
0.723
1.000
1.524
5.203
9.537
19.189
30.07
Astronomers call the average distance from Earth to the Sun an astronomical unit (AU).
The table shows the average distance of each planet in our solar system from the Sun.
1. Determine how much farther Saturn is from the Sun than Jupiter.
2. How far apart would Mars and Jupiter be if they were on opposite sides of the Sun?
(Hint- draw a picture showing each planet on opposite sides of the sun)