DISCOVERING OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

THE SOLAR SYSTEM HAS EIGHT (NINE) PLANETS THAT REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN. These nine planets are: Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto

MERCURY Closest planet to the sun Small, rocky planet Goes around the sun 88 earth days Covered with holes (impact craters) Has almost no atmosphere

VENUS Second planet from the sun Hottest planet In our solar system After the moon, Venus is the brightest object in the sky Known as the Earth’s sister planet Sixth largest planet Named after the Roman God of love and beauty

EARTH Third planet from the sun Our home planet Only known planet to support life Has a moon: largest satellite of any planet Planet that has the greatest density 70% is covered in water

MARS Fourth planet from the sun Second smallest planet Known as the red planet Mars and Earth have the same land mass Has the largest dust storm Dry, rocky surface Rovers recently landed on the surface

JUPITER Fifth planet from the sun -Largest planet in our solar system Has 39 moons-Spins the fastest Has three rings, but are very hard to see Has a great red spot (hurricane like storm)

SATURN Sixth planet from the sun Second largest planet Farthest planet visible from earth 62 moons Known for it’s distinctive rings (ice chunks and rocks) Lowest density

URANUS Seventh planet from the sun Huge, icy planet covered in clouds First planet discovered by using a telescope Coldest temperature Has 11 rings, but hard to see Known as the ice giant planet

NEPTUNE Eighth planet from the sun Has strong winds Has eight moons Orbited by faint rings arranged in clumps Has a blue spot which is a storm

PLUTO Smallest “planet” No longer considered a planet in our solar system Now known as a dwarf planet Farthest from the sun

MAP OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

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