The Solar System By Mr. C.

The Inner Planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars

The Outer Planets Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune

Mercury Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. 88 day orbit (year); 59 days to rotate (day) -300 F (facing away from the Sun) to 800 F (facing the Sun) It has an extremely thin atmosphere, thus many craters like our moon

Venus The hottest planet, yes even hotter than Mercury Rotates (Spins) in opposite direction Almost same size as Earth Its day, the time it takes to rotate one time, is longer than its year, time to orbit the Sun

Earth Earth is apprx 4.5 billion years old It is the only planet with life. It is made up of 70% water 8 minutes from sunlight The world is not round. It is an oblate spheroid, flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator.

Mars The “Red Planet” When iron rusts, it turns red Frozen water at poles (not liquid) 2 weird looking moons Tallest volcano, Olympus Mons (15 miles high, which is 3 times Mt. Everest)

Jupiter Largest planet (1,000 Earths) Great Red Spot is a storm as big as Earth Most moons (67 so far and climbing) Shortest day (10 hours)

Saturn Rings made of ice and rocks go outwards 45,000 miles Very light planet – can float on water Titan, a moon that is larger than Mercury 29+ years to orbit the Sun

Uranus The “Sideways Planet” Voyager 2 (1986) 83% hydrogen, 15% helium

Neptune The cold, stormy, windy planet Voyager 2 took 12 years to reach it >1,000 mph winds Methane gas = blue color 165 years to orbit the Sun

Pluto Pluto is only a dwarf planet Another dwarf planet, Eris, is even further It is very cold there.

References Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2001 Microsoft Office clipart http://www.planetfacts.net/Mars-Facts.html

The End