Our Solar System Planet Database

Mercury Size (Earth=1) 0.38 Distance (AU) 0.39 Mass (Earth=1) 0.06 Density (Earth=1) 1.0 Avg. Surface Temp. (oC) 350 Rotation Period (days) 58.7 Orbital Period (years) 0.24 (2.9 months) Number of Moons Other Significant Features -rocky -hot (on the day side) -dry -many craters -no atmosphere -iron rich core

Venus Size (Earth=1) 0.95 Distance (AU) 0.72 Mass (Earth=1) 0.86 Density (Earth=1) 0.96 Avg. Surface Temp. (oC) 480 Rotation Period (days) 243 Orbital Period (years) 0.62 (7.4 months) Number of Moons Other Significant Features -rocky -cloud covered -thick CO2 atmosphere (greenhouse effect) -sulfuric acid rain -rotates opposite to Earth

Earth Size (Earth=1) 1 Distance (AU) Mass (Earth=1) Density (Earth=1) Avg. Surface Temp. (oC) 22 Rotation Period (days) Orbital Period (years) Number of Moons Other Significant Features -rocky -oxygen atmosphere -liquid water inclined axis -life

Mars Mars Size (Earth=1) 0.53 Distance (AU) 1.52 Mass (Earth=1) 0.11 Density (Earth=1) 0.71 Avg. Surface Temp. (oC) -23 Rotation Period (days) 1.02 (24.5 hrs) Orbital Period (years) 1.88 Number of Moons 2 Other Significant Features -rocky -red -dust storms -dry -old river beds -large dead volcano

Jupiter Size (Earth=1) 11.25 Distance (AU) 5.27 Mass (Earth=1) 318 Density (Earth=1) 0.24 Avg. Surface Temp. (oC) -150 Rotation Period (days) 0.41 (9.8 hrs) Orbital Period (years) 11.86 Number of Moons 16 Other Significant Features -largest planet -coloured gas bands -great red spot -huge magnetic field -narrow dust ring

Saturn Size (Earth=1) 9.45 Distance (AU) 9.54 Mass (Earth=1) 95 Density (Earth=1) 0.13 Avg. Surface Temp. (oC) -180 Rotation Period (days) 0.44 (10.6 hrs) Orbital Period (years) 29.46 Number of Moons 18 Other Significant Features -wide thin rings -gas giant -yellow white gas band

Uranus Size (Earth=1) 4.01 Distance (AU) 19.19 Mass (Earth=1) 15 Density (Earth=1) 0.24 Avg. Surface Temp. (oC) -214 Rotation Period (days) 0.72 (17.3 hrs) Orbital Period (years) 84.01 Number of Moons 17 Other Significant Features -gas giant -blue -featureless atmosphere -axis tilted 90o -rings

Neptune Neptune Size (Earth=1) 3.96 Distance (AU) 30.06 Mass (Earth=1) 17 Density (Earth=1) 0.27 Avg. Surface Temp. (oC) -220 Rotation Period (days) 0.67 (16.1 hrs) Orbital Period (years) 164.8 Number of Moons 8 Other Significant Features -gas giant -blue -giant dark spot -faint rings

Pluto Size (Earth=1) 0.19 Distance (AU) 39.5 Mass (Earth=1) 0.002 Density (Earth=1) 0.36 Avg. Surface Temp. (oC) -230 Rotation Period (days) 6.4 Orbital Period (years) 247.7 Number of Moons 1 Other Significant Features -tiny -rocky -very elliptical orbit -orbit not in solar plane -moon almost as large as the planet

Other Solar System Bodies The solar system does not only contain the Sun, planets and moons. For example: Asteroids between Mars and Jupiter there is the asteroid belt asteroids are know as "minor planets" range in size from one metre to hundreds of kilometres largest is Ceres (1000 km) metal rich materials potential collision hazard

Comets as they orbit the Sun, material evaporates forming the tail mainly of dust and ice (dirty snowball) as they orbit the Sun, material evaporates forming the tail the tail always point away from the Sun Halley's comet orbits the Sun every 76 years (1986)

Meteors and Meteorites Earth is bombarded everyday by dust and rock fragments from space when one of the objects burns up generating light to make it visible they are called meteors any of these fragments that are large enough or tough enough to crash on the Earth's surface are know as meteorites

Questions P. 447 #1-7 1. WHICH PLANETS ARE MOST UNLIKE EARTH?

Questions P. 447 #1-7 1. WHICH PLANETS ARE MOST UNLIKE EARTH? Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune all mostly gaseous much bigger Mercury and Pluto do not have an atmosphere

Questions P. 447 #1-7 2. WHICH PLANET IS MOST LIKE EARTH?

Questions P. 447 #1-7 2. WHICH PLANET IS MOST LIKE EARTH? Mars Polar ice caps seasons very thin atmosphere close in temperature but colder

Questions P. 447 #1-7 3. SURFACE TEMPERATURE PATTERN FROM SUN

Questions P. 447 #1-7 3. SURFACE TEMPERATURE PATTERN FROM SUN temperatures get colder as the distance from the Sun increases (except for Venus)

Questions P. 447 #1-7 4. WHY COULD WE NOT SURVIVE ON VENUS?

Questions P. 447 #1-7 4. WHY COULD WE NOT SURVIVE ON VENUS? too hot!! poisonous atmosphere high atmospheric pressure on surface no liquid water

Questions P. 447 #1-7 5. MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER PLANETS

Questions P. 447 #1-7 5. MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER PLANETS Inner planets - rocky and cratered - mountains and valleys - thin atmospheres Outer Planets (except Pluto) - gas giants - low density - many Moons and rings

Questions P. 447 #1-7 6. WHY DOES VENUS HAVE A HIGHER SURFACE TEMPERATURE THAN MERCURY?

Questions P. 447 #1-7 6. WHY DOES VENUS HAVE A HIGHER SURFACE TEMPERATURE THAN MERCURY? dense CO2 atmosphere creates a greenhouse effect

Questions P. 447 #1-7 7. a. WHAT PATTERNS DO YOU SEE IN THE DATA?

Questions P. 447 #1-7 7. a. WHAT PATTERNS DO YOU SEE IN THE DATA? inner and outer planets are quite different planets farther from Sun have a longer year, colder climate, larger atmosphere and more Moons Pluto is an exception

Questions P. 447 #1-7 7. b. WHAT CHARACTERISTICS WOULD YOU SEE IN A PLANET BEYOND PLUTO?

Questions P. 447 #1-7 7. b. WHAT CHARACTERISTICS WOULD YOU SEE IN A| PLANET BEYOND PLUTO? possibly a gas giant