Explore the Planets CD-ROM

Explore the Planets helps students investigate the planets and their satellites and understand the processes that shape them: volcanism, impact cratering, tectonics, landslides, flowing water, and wind. They will study the planets the way planetary scientists do, by comparing, for example, why some volcanoes on Mars are so much larger than their counterparts on Earth. They’ll discover why impact craters are so widespread and much more.

New Version 2.1 is compatible with Mac OS® X Yosemite (10.10). Explore the Planets helps students investigate the planets and their satellites and understand the processes that shape them: volcanism, impact cratering, tectonics, landslides, flowing water, and wind. They will study the planets the way planetary scientists do, by comparing, for example, why some volcanoes on Mars are so much larger than their counterparts on Earth. They’ll discover why impact craters are so widespread and much more.

This updated CD-ROM is fully narrated and contains new data and images from recent discoveries and missions into space. The program aids learning with scored review questions. You may print the record, save it to file, or email it through your computer's print dialog or document viewer. Also included is a visual index, an illustrated glossary, colorful animations, video clips, and a planet database. Students can even pilot a spaceship through the solar system and test their knowledge of planetary bodies. Version 2.1 appears in a window that can be moved and resized. Grades 5–12.


Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Tour the Planets: Mercury / Venus / Earth / The Moon / Mars / Asteroids & Comets / Jupiter / Saturn / Uranus / Neptune / Pluto
• Planet Processes: Landslides / Volcanism / Flowing Water / Wind / Impact cratering / Tectonics / Atmosphere
• Planet Explorer Game
• Planet Database

Features in Version 2.1:

• New images and information for Tour of the Planets sections: Mercury, The Moon, Mars,
• Saturn, and Pluto.
• Interactive panoramas and videos on Mars and asteroids.
• Updated data and images in Planetary Database.
• Fully narrated.
• Visual index.
• Interactive illustrated glossary.
• Easy navigation including page numbers and a jump box on every frame.
• Scored review questions that can be printed, saved to file, or emailed through your computer's print dialog or document viewer.

System Requirements: Macintosh: PowerPC™ G5 or Intel® Core™ Duo 1.33GHz or faster; RAM: 1 GB; Mac OS® X 10.4.11 or later. Windows: Intel® Pentium® 4 or faster processor (or equivalent); RAM: 1 GB; Windows®: XP, Vista®, 7, or 8.1.