2. SPACE ODDITY
Episode I
Sam’s Homework

4. The Sun is a massive ball of exploding gas, creating huge amounts of heat and light energy.
The sun is so big the Earth could fit in it 1,000,000 times and there would still be space.
The Sun

5. Mercury is covered in craters because of the meteorites that have crashed into it.
On Mercury the length of one day is 59 Earth days! The length of one year on Mercury is 88 Earth days!
The diameter of Mercury is 4880 kilometres.
Mercury

6. Venus is hotter than Mercury even though it is further away from the Sun , this is because it has thick clouds that trap the sun’s heat.
The length of one day on Venus is equal to 243 Earth days
The length of one year is 225 Earth days!
The diameter of Venus is kilometres.
Venus

7. Earth Earth travels through space at over 64000 mph.
Earth takes 24 hours to rotate . After 12 hours the side nearest to the sun becomes the side furthest from the sun and vice versa.
The length of one day is 23 hours 56 minutes but we round it up to 24 hours.
The length of one year is days but we round it down to 365 days.
The diameter of Earth is km
Earth

8. Some scientists think there is life on Mars, not developed life forms like humans or wookies but microscopic organisms. Tracks on the ground show there could have been water meaning there could have been life.
One day on Mars lasts for 24 hours and 37 minutes.
One year is 687 days.
The diameter of Mars is 6794 km
Mars

9. Jupiter has at least 63 moons the largest one is Ganymede
Jupiter has at least 63 moons the largest one is Ganymede. This moon is bigger than Mercury.
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
One day on Jupiter is 9 hours 50 minutes
One year on Jupiter is Earth years.
The diameter is
Jupiter

10. Saturn’s rings are so big we can see them from Earth
Saturn’s rings are so big we can see them from Earth. Saturn has beautiful rings of dust and ice and a smashed up moon that was destroyed millions of years ago.
One day on Saturn is 10 hours 14 minutes.
One year on Saturn is 29.5 years!
The diameter is
Saturn

11. Uranus is the furthest planet from the Sun you can see without a telescope.
Uranus spins a different angle to other planets. Perhaps something collided with it making the planet onto its side.
One day on Uranus is 17 hours 54 minutes.
One year on Uranus is 84 years.
The diameter is 51518
Uranus

12. Neptune has the fastest winds in the Solar System and the most violent storms in the Solar System.
One day on Neptune is 19 hours 12 minutes
One year on Neptune is 165 years
The diameter is 49552
Neptune

13. Pluto and the Dwarf Planets
Pluto ,Eris and Ceres are known as dwarf planets (also known as plutoids) .
Pluto used to be called a planet but scientists then realised it was too small and its orbit was too strange so it was later called a plutoid.
Pluto and
the Dwarf Planets