Astronomy ›  Unit 3

Unit 3 The Solar System

The Sun, terrestrial planets, gas giants, moons, asteroids, and comets — the leftover record of how it all formed. Ends with a real mission call: Where Do We Send It?

🕐 ~3 weeks🅰️ 4 Activities🅿️ 2 Projects🅱️ 1 Problem
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The Path Through Unit 3

A university-run mission design competition just opened up, and your team gets exactly one shot: one target, one science question, one budget. Read the full case →
AActivity4 days total
3-1-1Rocky Worlds — Comparing Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
2 days→
3-1-2Reading Surface Features — Craters, Volcanoes, and History
2 days→
PProject🕐 3 class days

3-1-3  Habitability Report

Compare two terrestrial planets or moons and argue which is the better candidate for future human exploration — using real data, not gut feeling.

Turn in: Written habitability comparison with supporting dataOpen →
AActivity4 days total
3-2-1Gas Giant Systems — Rings, Moons, and Mission Data
2 days→
3-2-2Asteroids and Comets — Classifying the Leftovers
2 days→
PProject🕐 3 class days

3-2-3  Scale Model Solar System

Build a physical or digital scale model of the solar system that's honest about both size and distance — the part everyone gets wrong the first time.

Turn in: Scale model (physical or digital) + write-up of the scale usedOpen →
BProblem🕐 3 class days

3-3-1  Where Do We Send It?

You're a mission planner with one science goal and one budget. Pick a target in the solar system, and defend why it's worth the trip — and why it's not somewhere else.

Turn in: Mission proposal memo with target justificationOpen →