The Solar System

Terrestrial Planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars

Mercury Fastest revolving planet Diameter: 4,880 km (3,100 miles) Named after the Roman Messenger god (Hermes) Very Thin Atmosphere-Sodium & Helium (almost non-existent) Looks similar to Earth’s Moon Temperatures: 90 K to 700 K.

Rotates backwards (Retrograde) radius 6051 km / 3760 mi surface temperatures near 460°CVenus Atmosphere is mostly made of CO 2 Hottest planet in the Solar System due to the Greenhouse Effect Length of its day is longer than its year Covered by ancient lava flows & extinct volcanoes Named after the Roman goddess of Love & Beauty (Aphrodite)

Earth 93.3 million miles from sun93.3 million miles from sun Diameter: 7,926 miles Moons: 1. Length of year: days.Diameter: 7,926 miles Moons: 1. Length of year: days. The average surface temperature of 55 ° F (13 ° C)The average surface temperature of 55 ° F (13 ° C) The earth has one natural satellite, the moon.The earth has one natural satellite, the moon.moon Atmosphere 21% Oxygen 78% Nitrogen 1% other Gases

Half the size of EarthMars Polar ice caps made of frozen CO 2 (Dry Ice) Largest volcano/mountain in the Solar System (Olympus Mons) Red color because of Iron oxide (rust) in the rock Viking 1 & 2 landers were the 1st to take pictures of the surface Named after the Roman god of War (Ares) It has 2 moons (Phobos & Deimos) Temperature fluctuations from -207 degrees to a comfortable 80 on summer days 142 million miles from the sun. Diameter: 4,220 miles. Moons: 2. Length of year: 687 Earth days. The atmosphere on Mars is 95% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen, 1.6% argon, with only a trace of oxygen and water.

Jovian Planets Jupiter Uranus Saturn Neptune

Jupiter Largest planet in the Solar System Large rotating hurricane “Great Red Spot” Hit by the pieces of Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet Has a faint ring system Has 16 named moons (63) Almost became a star Gives off more energy than it receives Named after the Roman King of the gods (Zeus) 483 million miles from sun. Diameter: 88,672 miles. Moons: 16. Length of year: 11.9 Earth years. Like Saturn, it is a hydrogen / helium atmosphere planet with a presumed innermost core of rocky composition of metallic hydrogen and helium,

2nd largest planetSaturn Very complex/elaborate ring system made of rock & ice 21 named moons (31) Named after the Roman god of Agriculture (Cronus) radius km / mi Like Jupiter, it is a hydrogen / helium planet with a presumed innermost core of rocky composition and several Earth masses, an outer core of metallic hydrogen and helium, a liquid mantle of hydrogen / helium, and an atmosphere about 1000 km / 600 mi deep.

Rotates on its sideUranus 15 named moons (27) Only visited by Voyager 2 Named after the Roman god of the Sky (Uranus) 1,783 million miles from sun. Diameter: 31,000 miles. Length of year: 84 Earth years. Uranus' atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium, and methane

Methane gas gives it its blue colorNeptune Large Hurricane “Great Dark Spot” (no longer present) Visited by Voyager 2 Named for the Roman god of the Sea (Poseidon) Fastest winds in the Solar System 3,666 million miles from sun. Diameter: 1,860 miles. Its composition is presumed to be rock and ice, with a thin atmosphere of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and methane.

The Other Planet Pluto

Pluto Smallest planet Made of frozen gases (possible extinct comet) Moon (Charon) is half the size of Pluto Never visited by a satellite It does not orbit on the same plane as the other planets Named after the Roman god of the Underworld (Hades) Its composition is presumed to be rock and ice, with a thin atmosphere of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and methane.

Space Shuttle