Solar System Fun Facts about the Planets and the Sun

The Sun The Sun is a star at the center of the Solar System. It makes up about 99.86% of the Solar System's mass. The Sun is about 1,392,000 kilometres wide. That is about 865,000 miles.

Mercury Mercury is a small planet that orbits closest to the Sun. The surface is similar to the moon. It is barren, rockey and covered with many craters. The daytime temperature is scorching- over 700 degrees fahrenheit.

Venus The size is slightly smaller than Earth and has gravity similar to that of Earth. Venus is surrounded by thick clouds and the light that does not reach the surface is converted to heat, making it the hottest planet. The surface is full of many craters and active volcanoes.

Mars Mars is also called the "Red Planet" and has a dusty, rocky surface and a thin atmosphere. Its calm conditions and close proximity to Earth make it the most likely destination for future exploration by humans. It has already been visited by robots that have gathered samples.

Jupiter Jupiter is the largest planet, it can fit 1300 Earth's could fit inside it. Jupiter has many storms and is the home of the largest hurricane. It's been raging for over 300 years. Jupiter has a strong magnetic field. You would weigh two and a half more on this planet.

Saturn Saturn is the second largest planet and has a small rocky core covered with liquid gas. It is surrounded by a system of rings made up of million of ice crystals. Saturn is very light as it is made up of more hydrogen than helium. It would float in water.

Uranus Uranus was the first planet discovered by the telescope. Uranus takes 84 Earth years to go around the sun. This means that there are 42 years of daylight followed by 42 years of darkness. Uranus spins lying on its side like a barrel.

Neptune Neptune is four times the size of Earth and it has the most violent weather in the solar system. Neptune is a large water planet. It has a blue hydrogen-methane atmosphere and faint rings. Neptune is the furthest planet away from the Sun.

Pluto In 2006, Pluto became a dwarf planet. Pluto is so far from the Sun that the temperature ranges from -235 degrees celsius to -210 degrees celsius. Pluto consists of rock with a very thick coating of ice.

Resources Bertoch, ( ) The Kid Know it Network. Kidsastronomy.com. Retrieved from Smith, R. (2012). Science Kids. Retrieved from