Planets Planets orbit a star like our sun Planets do not give off light or heat energy.

Planets Planets are much smaller than Stars Our planets are held in their orbits by the pull of gravity from the Sun.

The inner planets The inner planets are the 4 planets closest to the Sun. These planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars.

Inner Planet Surface All Four inner planets have a hard rocky surface. These are called the terrestrial planets because terra is Latin for earth. They are the smallest of the planets in the solar system.

Mercury The closest planet to the Sun The smallest planet in the solar system, about the size of our moon.

Mercury It goes around the sun every 88 days and is mainly made up of iron. Mercury has no natural satellites(moons).

Venus This is the second planet from the sun and about the same size as earth. It is the hottest planet with an average temperature of 460 degrees C. Venus has no natural satellites.

Venus Venus rotates so slowly on its axis that a day on Venus is longer than a year on Venus. It also rotates in the opposite direction of Earth, east to west. Venus has a very dense atmosphere that is made up of CO2 and Sulfuric Acid and it is so heavy it would crush a human.

Earth Third Planet from the sun. Only Planet that has a protective magnetic field and liquid water on its surface and water vapor in its atmosphere.

Earth Hard surface and moving liquid inner core, creating a protective magnetic field.. Has one natural satellite {our moon}.

Mars The fourth planet from the sun and the last terrestrial planet. It is called the Red Planet because it is covered in red dust. It has two natural satellites and is about ½ the size of the earth.

Mars Mars once had oceans and rivers but now does not have any liquid water. Because of its tilted axis, Mars has seasons and frozen CO2 ice fields at its poles. Mars is the only planet that we have landed a remote controlled rover and explored its surface.

Asteroid Belt Asteroids are giant pieces of rock that are floating in space. Most of the asteroids are located between Mars and Jupiter in an area called the Asteroid Belt.

Asteroid Belt There are two theories on why it is here: There are two theories on why it is here: 1. It was a planet that never formed 2. It was a planet that has fallen apart or crumbled

Meteors Meteors are pieces of space debris that enter the earths atmosphere. When the debris is in space heading to earth it is called a meteoroid.

Meteors When it is burning up in the earths atmosphere it is a meteor. When it is on the ground it is a meteorite.