Planets Distances and Scientific Notation

4,000,000,000 mi 0 mi

4 x 10 mi 9 0 mi

4,000,000,000 mi 2,000,000,000 mi 0 mi

4 x 10 mi 9 2 x 10 mi 9 0 mi

4,000,000,000 mi 2,000,000,000 mi 1,000,000,000 mi 0 mi

4,000,000,000 mi 3,000,000,000 mi 2,000,000,000 mi 1,000,000,000 mi 0 mi

4 x 10 mi 9 2 x 10 mi 9 1 x 10 mi 9 0 mi

4 x 10 mi 9 3 x 10 mi 9 2 x 10 mi 9 1 x 10 mi 9 0 mi

4,000,000,000 mi 3,500,000,000 mi 3,000,000,000 mi 2,500,000,000 mi 2,000,000,000 mi 1,500,000,000 mi 1,000,000,000 mi 500,000,000 mi 0 mi

4 x 10 mi 9 3.5 x 10 mi 9 3 x 10 mi 9 2.5 x 10 mi 9 2 x 10 mi 9 1.5 x 10 mi 9 1 x 10 mi 9 8 5 x 10 mi 0 mi

4,000,000,000 mi 3,750,000,000 mi 3,500,000,000 mi 3,250,000,000 mi 3,000,000,000 mi 2,750,000,000 mi 2,500,000,000 mi 2,250,000,000 mi 2,000,000,000 mi 1,750,000,000 mi 1,500,000,000 mi 1,250,000,000 mi 1,000,000,000 mi 750,000,000 mi 500,000,000 mi 250,000,000 mi 0 mi

4 x 10 mi 9 3.75 x 10 mi 9 3.5 x 10 mi 9 3.25 x 10 mi 9 3 x 10 mi 9 2.75 x 10 mi 9 2.5 x 10 mi 9 2.25 x 10 mi 9 2 x 10 mi 9 1.75 x 10 mi 9 1.5 x 10 mi 9 1.25 x 10 mi 9 1 x 10 mi 9 7.5 x 10 mi 8 8 5 x 10 mi 2.5 x 10 mi 8 0 mi

MERCURY Mercury has an average distance from the Sun of 36,000,000 mi (57 936 384 km)

250,000,000 mi 0 mi

250,000,000 mi 125,000,000 mi 0 mi

250,000,000 mi 125,000,000 mi 62,500,000 mi 0 mi

250,000,000 mi 125,000,000 mi 62,500,000 mi 31,250,000 mi 0 mi

VENUS Venus has an average distance from the Sun of 67,230,000 mi (108,196,000 km)

250,000,000 mi 125,000,000 mi 62,500,000 mi 31,250,000 mi 0 mi

EARTH Earth has an average distance from the Sun of 92,955,820 mi (149,597,890 km)

Astronomical Unit (AU) In our solar system we tend to describe distances in terms of the Astronomical Unit (AU).

Astronomical Unit (AU) The Astronomical Unit (AU) is defined as the average distance between the Earth and the Sun.

Astronomical Unit (AU)

Astronomical Unit (AU)

Earth Average distance from the Sun: 92,955,820 mi (149,597,890 km) The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990 It orbits far above the Earth’s atmosphere and returns data

Earth to Moon In 1959 Luna 1 left Earth and passed within the 5,995 km (3,725 mi) of the Moon’s surface after 83 hours of flight.

250,000,000 mi 125,000,000 mi 62,500,000 mi 31,250,000 mi 0 mi

Venus Average distance from the Sun: 67,237,910 mi (108,208,930 km) On November 1973, Mariner 10 was sent on a trip through the inner solar system It flew past Venus on February 5, 1974 Mariner 10

Mercury Average distance from the Sun 36,000,000 mi(60,000,000 km) On November 1973, Mariner 10 was sent on a trip through the inner solar system After the Venus flyby, Mariner 10 reached Mercury on March 29, 1974 Mariner 10

MARS Mars has an approximate distance from the sun of 141,700,000 mi (228,000,000 km)

Mars Minimum distance from Earth is 56,000,000 km (35,000,000 mi) The minimum distance from at 60 mi per hr it would take 66.5 years Light travels at a speed of 670,000,000 miles per hour, it would take 5 minutes In 1964, it took Mariner 4 eight months to reach Mars Average distance from Mars to the Sun: 142,000,000 mi (228,000,000 km)

JUPITER Jupiter has an average distance from the Sun of 483,000,000 mi (778,000,000 km)

Jupiter Average distance from the Sun 483,000,000 mi (778,000,000 km) It took the Galileo spacecraft six years to reach it (launched on October 1989 )

SATURN Saturn has an average distance from the Sun of 887,140,000 mi (1,427,000,000 km)

Saturn Average distance from the Sun: 885,904,700 mi (1,425,725,400 km) Cassini-Huygens spacecraft was launched on July 2004 It took four years to reach Saturn

URANUS Uranus has an average distance from the Sun of 1,783,939,400 mi (2,870,972,000 km)

Uranus Average distance from the Sun: 1,783,939,400 mi (2,870,972,200 km) Voyager 2 It was launched on August 1977 The closest approach occurred January 1986 (a little less than nine years since it was launched)

NEPTUNE Neptune has an average distance from the Sun of 2,796,460,000 mi (4,497,000,000 km)

Neptune Average distance from the Sun: 2,795,084,800 mi (4,498,252,900 km) Voyager 2 It was launched on August 1977 The closest approach occurred August 1989 (about three years after reaching Uranus)

PLUTO Pluto has an average distance from the Sun of 3,666,000,000 mi (5,906,000,000 km)

Pluto Average distance from the Sun: 3,670,050,000 mi (5,906,380,000 km) New Horizon was launched on January 2006 Should reach Pluto on July 2015