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Chapter 1 Suggested time allotment 2 hours

MODULE

5 Advancements on the Solar System

INTRODUCTION
Since the start of the Space Age, a great deal
of exploration has been performed by robotic
spacecraft missions that have been organized and
executed by various space agencies.
All planets in the Solar System have now
been visited to varying degrees by spacecraft
launched from Earth. Through these unmanned
missions, humans have been able to get close-up
photographs of all the planets and, in the case of
landers, perform tests of the soils and atmospheres
of some.
The first artificial object sent into space was Figure 1. Future of space exploration technology
the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1, launched in 1957, (Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-03-discusses-future-space-
which successfully orbited Earth until 4 January the exploration-technology.html
following year. The American probe Explorer 6,
launched in 1959, was the first satellite to image Earth from space.
In this module, you will explain the current advancements and information on the Solar System.

At the end of Module 5, you are expected to answer the key question below:

With the vastness of our solar system, how far does the human
race reach?

LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Discuss the status of Pluto;
2. Determine the possibility of the presence of hypothetical Planet X;
3. Investigate the presence of liquid substance Saturn’s largest moon; and
4. Research on the current advancement on Mars exploration mission.

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Let us determine how much you already know about the advancement on the solar
system. Take the test below.

Pre-Test
Multiple Choice
Select the correct letter.
1. Which of the following is a dwarf planet? 5. Which of the following observations led to
A. Mercury the assumption of astronomers that Mars has
B. Earth water in the past?
C. Saturn A. abundance of igneous rocks
D. Pluto B. presence of sedimentary rocks
C. too much methane in its atmosphere
2. Which of the following discoveries led to the D. excess hydrogen in its atmosphere
questioning of Pluto’s status as a planet?
A. Eris in Kuiper belt 6. Which of the following have the Mars
B. Makemake as a dwarf planet exploration rovers been looking for since
C. Haumea as a dwarf planet January 2014?
D. Ceres in asteroid belt A. ancient life forms
B. diamonds
3. As planned by Mars One Program, how long C. lost spaceships
would it take for humans to travel to Mars D. oxygen
from Earth?
A. two years 7. Which of the following is one of the goals of
B. four years Mars One Program?
C. eight years A. send robots to Mars
D. one year B. send Earth’s trash to Mars
C. colonize Mars with humans
4. Which of the following observations led to D. create a prison in Mars
the assumption of Mike Brown and
Konstantin Batygin about the ninth planet in 8. All of the following sentences are true about
our solar system? Pluto except __________.
A. the clustering of six objects in the Kuiper A. It is one of the nine planets in the solar
Belt system.
B. the size of Pluto B. Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet.
C. the location of Jupiter C. Pluto lies in the Kuiper belt.
D. the clustering of six objects in the asteroid D. It is unable to clear its own orbit because
belt of lack of gravity.

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9. All of the following sentences are true about 10. Which of the following are the latest
Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, except advancements about the solar system?
_________.
A. It contains enough water to sustain life. I. Pluto’s status as a dwarf planet
B. Titan contains methane in liquid form. II. presence of a liquid substance in Titan
C. It has tides due to the gravitational pull of III. searching for ancient life evidence in Mars
Saturn. IV. existence of man in Mars
D. It is the only celestial body in our Solar
System that has liquid substance. A. I only
B. I and II
C. I, II and III
D. II, III and IV

Glossary of Terms
Let’s learn about it!

List of important terms that you should familiarize and remember:

Asteroid - is a space rock. It is a small object in the Solar System that travels around the Sun. It is like a planet but
smaller. They range from very small (smaller than a car) to 600 miles (1000 km) across. A few asteroids have
asteroid moon. The name "asteroid" means "like a star" in the ancient Greek language. Asteroids may look like
small stars in the sky, but they really do move around the Sun, while stars only seem to move because the Earth
spins. Like planets, asteroids do not make their own light. Because of this, some people think "asteroids" is not a
good name, and think that the name "planetoid" ("like a planet") would be a better name.
Comet - is a ball of mostly ice that moves around in outer space. Comets are often described as "dirty snowballs".
They are very different from asteroids. The orbital inclinations of comets are usually high and not near the ecliptic
where most solar system objects are found. Most of them are long-period comets and come from the Kuiper belt.
Dwarf planet - is the name used to classify some objects in the solar system. This definition was made on August 24,
2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), and can be described as; a dwarf planet is a body orbiting
the Sun that is big enough to round itself by its own gravity, but has not cleared its orbital path of other rival
bodies.
Kuiper Belt - is a region of leftovers from the solar system's early history. Like asteroid belt, it has also been shaped
by a giant planet, although it's more of a thick disk (like a donut) than a thin belt.
Space probe - is an unmanned space mission, usually a small spacecraft sent out to find out information about a
planet or other far away thing. As a tool of space exploration, a planetary probe may land on the planet, or orbit
around it, or merely fly by closely. Probes use radio waves to send information back to Earth or sometimes to a
manned spacecraft. A space observatory leaves the Earth to look at distant objects, but does not go near the
objects, so it is not called a "probe".

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Reading Resources and Instructional Activities

Activity 1: Labelling

Use the following words on the box below to

label the images at the right side.

meteor

asteroid

comet

space probe 1._______________ 2._______________

dwarf planet

3._______________ 4._______________
Can I answer this?

Q1. Is there any possibility that still new planets in the solar system are yet to be discovered? Why?
Q2. Why do Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown think that a Planet X might be there and yet to be discovered
inside our solar system? What they are going to do in order to possibly discover this distant object in our
solar system?

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Let’s learn about it!

Why is Pluto not a planet anymore?

Pluto's Status
In 1930, Clyde Tombaugh
discovered Pluto as the ninth planet in
the solar system. However, the discovery
of Kuiper Belt (an area after Neptune
that contains asteroids, comets, and
other celestial bodies) questioned the
status of Pluto as a planet.

In 2005, Eris, a Kuiper Belt object,

was discovered to be 10 percent bigger
than Pluto. At first, Eris was suggested
as the tenth planet in the solar system.

In August 2006, however, Figure 2. The solar system

researchers at the International (https://link.quipper.com/en/organizations/547ffb0fd2b76d0002002
Astronomical Union (IAU), however, 393/curriculum#curriculum)
voted to reclassify Pluto as a dwarf planet
based on a new set of standards. In order for a
planet to be defined as one, it had to be in orbit
around the sun, must be round and must clear the
neighborhood around its orbit. With its eccentric
orbit, Pluto, unfortunately, did not meet the last
requirement.

Its incapability to clear its orbit due to lack of

gravity led to classify Eris as a dwarf planet
together with Pluto. Other dwarf planets are Ceres
in the Asteroid Belt and Makemake and Haumea Figure 3. The solar system
both in the Kuiper Belt.
(https://link.quipper.com/en/organizations/547ffb0fd2b76d000
2002393/curriculum#curriculum)
Dwarf planets are celestial bodies that orbit the
sun, have enough mass to assume a nearly round shape, and have not cleared its orbit due to lack of gravity.

Hypothetical Planet X
Caltech researchers have found mathematical evidence suggesting there may be a "Planet X" deep in the
solar system. This hypothetical Neptune-sized planet orbits our Sun in a highly elongated orbit far beyond
Pluto. The object, which the researchers have nicknamed "Planet Nine," could have a mass about 10 times that
of Earth and orbit about 20 times farther from the Sun on average than Neptune. It may take between 10,000
and 20,000 Earth years to make one full orbit around the Sun.

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The announcement does not mean there is a new

planet in our solar system. The existence of this
distant world is only theoretical at this point and
no direct observation of the object nicknamed
"Planet 9" have been made. The mathematical
prediction of a planet could explain the unique
orbits of some smaller objects in the Kuiper Belt,
a distant region of icy debris that extends far
beyond the orbit of Neptune.

In January 2015, Caltech astronomers

Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown announced
new research that provides evidence of a giant
planet tracing an unusual, elongated orbit in the Figure 4. Hypothetical Planet X
outer solar system. The prediction is based on https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/hypothetical-planet-x/in-
detailed mathematical modeling and computer depth/
simulations, not direct observation.

This large object could explain the unique orbits of at least five smaller objects discovered in the distant
Kuiper Belt. The Caltech scientists believe Planet X may have has a mass about 10 times that of Earth and be
similar in size to Uranus or Neptune. The predicted orbit is about 20 times farther from our Sun on average
than Neptune (which orbits the Sun at an average distance of 2.8 billion miles). It would take this new planet
between 10,000 and 20,000 years to make just one full orbit around the Sun (where Neptune completes an orbit
roughly every 165 years).

Planet X has not yet been discovered, and there is debate in the scientific community about whether it
exists. The prediction in the Jan. 20 issue of the Astronomical Journal is based on mathematical modeling.

Batygin and Brown nicknamed their predicted object "Planet Nine," but the actual naming rights of an
object go to the person who actually discovers it. The name used during previous hunts for the long-suspected
giant, undiscovered object beyond Neptune is "Planet X."

Astronomers studying the Kuiper Belt have noticed some of the dwarf planets and other small, icy objects
tend to follow orbits that cluster together. By analyzing these orbits, the Caltech team predicted the possibility
that a large, previously undiscovered planet may be hiding far beyond Pluto.

They estimate the gravity of this potential planet might explain the unusual orbits of those Kuiper objects.

Astronomers, including Batygin and Brown, will begin using the world's most powerful telescopes to search
for the object in its predicted orbit. Any object that far away from the Sun will be very faint and hard to detect,
but astronomers calculate that it should be possible to see it using existing telescopes.

Mars Rover Mission

Since 1970s, NASA has been deploying Mars Exploration Rovers to examine the nearest planet to Earth,
Mars. They examined materials of Mars’ lithosphere and assessed if the weather condition is viable for the
survival of life.

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Its mission was focused on the physical

characteristics of the planet. It aimed to collect data
on how the planet formed its rocks and soil and
whether or not water has been responsible for the
weathering and erosion of rocks. The rovers
examined the rocks and analyzed that it had
sedimentary rocks that can be formed if rocks are
soaked for a long time in the water.

Based on the data collected, scientists believe

that Mars had water in the past, and this water
sustained some microorganisms. Figure 5. Mars Rover Mission
https://link.quipper.com/en/organizations/547ffb0fd2b76d000
Since January 2014, rovers started digging for 2002393/curriculum#curriculum
fossilized evidence of ancient life.

Mars One Program

The Mars One Program
aims to land the first humans
on Mars and establish a human
colony on that planet by 2027.

In 2014, the program

chose astronauts that will be
sent to Mars. Plans of landing
rovers and establishing communication satellites Figure 6. Mars projected human settlement
were also formulated. The target is that by the Source: https://www.mars-one.com/mission
year 2022, the first crew will start its travel to
Mars and will reach it after a year, and by 2035, the colony will have twenty crew and will be able to sustain
itself.

Mars is the only planet we know of that can currently feasibly support human life and will be humankind’s
first step to become a multiplanetary species. Before carefully selected and trained crews will depart to Mars,
several unmanned missions will be completed, establishing a habitable settlement waiting for the first astronauts
to arrive. The Mars One crews will go to Mars not to simply visit, but to live, explore, and create a second home
for humanity. The first men and women to go to Mars are going there to stay.

Mars is the stepping stone of the human race on its voyage into the universe. Human settlement on Mars
will aid our understanding of the origins of the solar system, the origins of life and our place in the universe.
As with the Apollo Moon landings, a human mission to Mars will inspire generations to believe that all things
are possible, anything can be achieved.

The Launch Is Approaching for NASA's Next Mars Rover, Perseverance

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is just over a month from its July 20 targeted launch date. The rover's
astrobiology mission will seek signs of past microscopic life on Mars, explore the geology of the Jezero Crater
landing site, and demonstrate key technologies to help prepare for future robotic and human exploration. And
the rover will do all that while collecting the first samples of Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust)
for return to Earth by a set of future missions.

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Perseverance will reach

Mars on Feb. 18, 2021,
touching down on the
surface of Jezero Crater.
Developed under NASA’s
Mars Exploration Program,
the rover’s astrobiology
mission will search for signs
of past microbial life.

The rover, carrying

seven different scientific
instruments, will lift off
from Cape Canaveral Air Figure 7. Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover
Force Station. Launch is Source: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/timeline/launch/status/
scheduled for Monday, July
20, at 9:15 a.m. ET, with a two-hour window. NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy is managing
the launch.

The goal of the Mars Exploration Program is to explore Mars and to provide a continuous flow of scientific
information and discovery through a carefully selected series of robotic orbiters, landers and mobile laboratories
interconnected by a high-bandwidth Mars/Earth communications network.

There are several strategic, practical and scientific reasons for humans to explore Mars. Among them we
know that Mars is the most accessible place in the solar system. Additionally, exploring Mars provides the
opportunity to possibly answer origin and evolution of life questions, and could someday be a destination for
survival of humankind.

From a practical perspective we know that Mars is unique across the entire solar system in that it is a
terrestrial planet with an atmosphere and climate, its geology is known to be very diverse and complex (like
Earth), and it appears that the climate of Mars has changed over its history (like Earth).

Titan’s Water
Titan is Saturn’s largest moon. Astronomers studying the Titan’s
composition lead to the discovery that liquid substance is present on
the moon in the form of liquid methane. Below is an image that was
taken from the shutter-snapping Cassini spacecraft which shows the
most detailed look at one of the famous lakes on the surface of Titan.

Titan is the only one with a substantial atmosphere. And of all the
places in the solar system, Titan is the only place besides Earth known
to have liquids in the form of rivers, lakes and seas on its surface.

Titan has clouds, rain, rivers, lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons
like methane and ethane. The largest seas are hundreds of feet
deep and hundreds of miles wide. Beneath Titan’s thick crust Figure 8. Saturn’s largest moon, Titan
of water ice is more liquid—an ocean primarily of water Source: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-
moons/titan/overview/
rather than methane. Titan’s subsurface water could be a place

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to harbor life as we know it, while its surface lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons could conceivably harbor
life that uses different chemistry than we’re used to—that is, life as we don’t yet know it. Titan could also be a
lifeless world.

It was also discovered that the Titan is undergoing chemical processes, the same processes that the Early
Earth have undergone. If the Sun became large enough, it will receive the same amount of solar energy we are
receiving, thus, making the possibility for life’s survival possible.

I need to explore!

Q3. Imagine yourself traveling as an astronaut. What are the other things that you want to discover to contribute
to the new advancements about our solar system?

I should try it!

Q4. Research about other new discoveries that made an impact in the history of our solar system.

What do I think?

Q5. What are the things you are looking forward to be discovered in our universe?

• In 1930, Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto as the ninth planet in the solar system.
• The discovery of Kuiper Belt (an area after Neptune that contains asteroids, comets, and other celestial
bodies) questioned the status of the Pluto as a planet.
• Since 1970s, NASA has been deploying Mars Exploration Rovers to examine Mars.
• Materials on Mars’ lithosphere were examined and the weather condition was assessed to gauge whether it
is viable for the survival of life.
• The Mars One Program aims to land the first humans on Mars and establish a human colony on that planet
by 2027.
• Studying the Titan’s composition lead to the discovery that liquid substance is present on the moon in the
form of liquid methane.

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How much I have learned?

The following questions will determine how much you have learned from the module.

Posttest
Essay
1. Discuss the status of Pluto.
2. Is there a possibility that a hypothetical Planet X is present in our solar system waiting to be discovered? Why?
3. What is the possibility that Saturn’s largest moon would be colonized by humans?
4. Would it be possible to colonize Mars with humans? Why?

EVALUATION
NEEDS MEETS EXCEEDS
NOT VISIBLE
IMPROVEMENT EXPECTATIONS EXPECTATIONS
Can discuss the status of Pluto.
Can explain the possibility that a
hypothetical Planet X is present in our
solar system waiting to be discovered
Can explain possibility that Saturn’s largest
moon would be colonized by humans.
Can explain the possibility that Mars can
be colonized with humans.

References and Links

1) Asteroid. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid (accessed: June 18, 2020)

2) Comet. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet (accessed: June 18, 2020)
3) Discovery and exploration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_and_exploration_of_the_Solar_System
(accessed: June 18, 2020)
4) Dwarf planet. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_planet (accessed: June 18, 2020)
5) Hypothetical Planet X. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/hypothetical-planet-x/in-depth/ (accessed: June
18, 2020)
6) Kuiper Belt. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/overview/ (accessed: June 18, 2020)
7) Mars Exploration Program. https://mars.nasa.gov/#mars_exploration_program (accessed: June 18, 2020)
8) Mars Rover Mission.
https://link.quipper.com/en/organizations/547ffb0fd2b76d0002002393/curriculum#curriculum (accessed:
June 18, 2020)
9) Pluto’s status. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/2020-05-26-why-is-pluto-not-a-planet-anymore-
24434856.html (accessed: June 18, 2020)
10) Saturn’s largest moon. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/titan/overview/ (accessed: June
18, 2020)
11) Space probe. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_probe (accessed: June 18, 2020)

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