1. Our Solar System and Planets

2. Our Solar System
Each of the 8 planets in our solar system are unique.

3. Our Solar System They are different in their: Size Motion Temperature
Substances they are made up of
Gravitational field strength

4. Our Solar System
Orbit – Is the path that the planets follow (revolve) around the Sun.

5. Types of Planets There are two main categories of planets:
Inner Planets
Outer Planets

6. 1. Inner Planets Also called Terrestrial Planets.
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
Composed of rock and metal
Slow rotation
Solid surfaces
No rings
Few satellites.

7. 2. Outer Planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
Also called Gas Giants –atmosphere is made up mainly of gases – hydrogen and helium.
Lack solid surfaces
Fast rotation
Many Rings and satellites

8. The 8 Planets and Pluto 

9. Mercury #1 Smallest planet Closest to the sun Orbit is only 88 days
Surface temp -173 to 427°C
No Atmosphere
Lots of craters

10. Venus #2 Almost the same size as earth Slowest rotation
Hottest planet surface temp = 377 to 487°C
Runaway green house affect

11. Earth #3 Tilted on its axis 23° Mild greenhouse effect
Water in all three states
Only planet with life
One moon

12. Mars #4 About ½ the size of earth 25° tilt on its axis
A year = 687 earth days
Very cold -83 to -33°C
Thin atmosphere
No liquid water
Two moons

13. Jupiter #5 Largest planet in our solar system 11x larger than earth
Similar make up to a solar nebula, but much smaller, mostly H and He
On day = 10 earth hours
One year = 12 earth years
63 moons and counting
Big red spot is a storm

14. Saturn #6 9x size of earth Mostly H and He Cold 56 moons and counting
29 year orbit
Famous rings

15. Uranus #7 (yes funny, I get it!)
First planet discovered with a telescope
4x size of earth
Mostly ices with little H and He
Blue from methane
11 rings
27 moons
84 year orbit
Spins on axis 90°

16. Neptune #8 Also a methane atmosphere so appears blue 4 rings 13 moons
165 year orbit

17. Pluto 2/3 size of earth’s moon
Downgraded from a planet to a dwarf planet
Light from sun takes 5.5 hours to reach it
Mostly rocky, methane and ice