EXPLORING OUR SOLAR SYSTEM! Photo: ESA

MERCURY SURFACE DISTANCE Craters and smooth plains like our moon. FROM SUN 38.98 million miles GRAVITY Only 38% strong as the Earth’s. This means you could jump three times as high as you do on Earth! DAY TEMP. Up to 800ºC. NIGHT TEMP. Down to -290ºC CHALLENGE QUESTION Why is it impossible for water to exist on Mercury? CHALLENGE QUESTION Why is there no weather system on Mercury? Photo: ESA

VENUS DISTANCE FROM SUN 67.24 million miles SURFACE Volcanoes, mountains and craters under acidic clouds SURFACE TEMP. Up to 480ºC. GRAVITY 91% strong as the Earth’s. It’s very similar to Earth! DAY LENGTH 243 Earth days equal one day on Venus CHALLENGE QUESTION What makes Venus the hottest planet in our solar system? CHALLENGE QUESTION How much would you weigh on Venus? Photo: ESA

EARTH DISTANCE SURFACE FROM SUN 92.96 million miles SURFACE Mountains, valleys, oceans, deserts, plains, forests and polar caps CORE Nickel-iron, magnetic. MOONS Just one! All other planets have more than one. WATER 70% of Earth is covered in water. CHALLENGE QUESTION How does Earth’s core protect us against solar winds? CHALLENGE QUESTION How can we protect our atmosphere? Photo: NASA

MARS DISTANCE FROM SUN 141.6 million miles SURFACE Mountains, canyons, deserts and polar caps GRAVITY Only 38% strong as the Earth’s. Which planet has the same gravity as Mars? YEAR LENGTH 687 Earth days WATER Ice has been found under Mars’s polar caps. CHALLENGE QUESTION How high is Olympus Mons, the biggest mountain in our solar system? CHALLENGE QUESTION How many seasons does Mars have? Why? Photo: NASA

JUPITER DISTANCE FROM SUN 483.8 million miles SURFACE No solid surface, it’s a giant ball of gas. YEAR LENGTH 12 Earth years. GRAVITY 2.4 times stronger than Earth’s. ATMOSPHERE A unique cloud layer gives Jupiter its strange marbled appearance. CHALLENGE QUESTION What is the Giant Red Spot and what is happening to it? CHALLENGE QUESTION What are Jupiter’s cloud layers made from? Photo: ESA

SATURN DISTANCE FROM SUN SURFACE 888.2 million miles Ball of helium and hydrogen DAY LENGTH 10.7 Earth hours RINGS 7 rings, each rotating around Saturn ATMOSPHERE Made from ammonia, giving Saturn its yellow appearance CHALLENGE QUESTION What about Saturn’s rings allows us to see them with a telescope? CHALLENGE QUESTION Which of Saturn’s moons might have life on it? Photo: ESA

URANUS DISTANCE SURFACE FROM SUN Ice giant with a rock and iron core 1.784 billion miles SURFACE Ice giant with a rock and iron core DAY LENGTH 17.24 Earth hours RINGS 13 faint rings, which are perpendicular to the sun SEASONS Two seasons, each lasting 42 Earth years CHALLENGE QUESTION What gives Uranus its pale blue colour? CHALLENGE QUESTION What is special about Uranus’s orbit around the Sun? Photo: NASA

NEPTUNE hydrogen DISTANCE SURFACE FROM SUN 2.795 billion miles SURFACE Ice giant made from water, ammonia and methane YEAR LENGTH 165 Earth years RINGS 6 faint rings made from dust and debris WINDY Supersonic winds are 9 times stronger than winds on Earth. CHALLENGE QUESTION When was Neptune discovered and why did it take so long? CHALLENGE QUESTION How long was Neptune’s longest storm on record? Photo: NASA