The Solar System The Planets

The Sun

Solar Eclipse and a view of the Milky Way Galaxy—Amateur Photographer

Waxing cresent moon with Jupiter to the right and Venus a top and the star Spica below Venus. A view of the two brightest nighttime objects.

Mercury

Venus

Venus Landscape

Earth

View of North America

View of Antarctica

Mars

Mars with polar ice cap---pictured by amateur photographers

Mars Landscape

The Face of Mars

What are these two objects? Again, amateur photo

The Outer Planets

Jupiter

Interesting facts about Jupiter It would be more massive than all of the other planets combined. It is about 90% hydrogen and 10% helium, with traces of methane, water, ammonia, and “rock.” Jupiter has 63 known satellites (as of Febuary 2004) Scientist seem to think that the stripes around Jupiter where produced by tides from it’s 60 moons.

What is pictured to the left of Jupiter?

Jupiter Jupiter is the 5th planet from the sun. It is also the largest. The diameter is 142,984km. The mass of Jupiter is 1.900e27kg.

Jupiter’s Spot

Saturn

Saturn and it’s Satellites

Ultraviolent Saturn

Saturn Saturn is the 6th planet from the sun. It is one of the gas planets along with Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Saturn’s core is probably composed of iron, nickel, silicon, and oxygen compounds which is surrounded by a deep layer of metallic hydrogen and an intermediate layer of liquid hydrogen and liquid helium.

Saturn taken by amateur photographer

Interesting Facts About Saturn Saturn’s average radius is about 9 times larger than Earths. Saturn has nine rings, mostly of ice particles with small amounts of rocky debris and dust. 62 known moons orbit the planet.

Infared Saturn

Uranus

Interesting Facts About Uranus It has the 3rd largest radius and the 4th largest planet mass in the solar system. It has been observed many times before being named a planet. It revolves around the sun about every 84 earth years.

The Moons of Uranus

Uranus

Neptune

Neptune Neptune is the 8th a farthest planet from the sun. Neptune is 17 times the mass of earth and is slightly more massive than its near twin Uranus which is 15 times the mass of Earth but not as dense. Neptune’s atmosphere which is like Jupiter’s and Saturn’s is composed of primarily of hydrogen and helium.

Neptune picture taken by amateur photographer

Clouds around Neptune

Pluto

Actual amateur photo of Pluto----Wow! How did he find it?

Pluto Pluto is the second largest dwarf planet in the solar system and the 10th largest body orbiting the sun. The reason why it is called a dwarf planet Is because on August 24th, 2006 the international Astronomical Union, defined what it meant to be a planet orbiting the solar system, thus making it a dwarf planet. After the reclassification, Pluto was added to the list of minor planets and given the number 134340

Interesting Fact About Pluto Pluto’s orbital rate is 284 Earth years. Despite Pluto's orbit appearing to cross Neptune’s path, the two objects' orbits are aligned so that they can never collide or even approach closely. Pluto's atmosphere consists of a thin layer of nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide gases.