1. Mercury Venus Earth Mars

2. Mercury -has a surface much like our moon: cratered, but with HUGE volcanoes -no atmosphere -most extreme temperatures in solar system: 430°C during day, -170°C at night

3. -1 day (rotation) = 59 Earth days -1 year (revolution) = 88 days -4,878 km. diameter Interesting Fact: we have only seen 40% of the surface, from 1 exploration: Mariner 10 It is too close to the sun to see with a telescope! Mercury

4. Venus -THICK atmosphere -mostly Carbon Dioxide -sulfuric acid clouds -GREENHOUSE EFFECT makes it the hottest planet at 460ºC “Morning Star”

5. Beneath the thick clouds is the surface: -some craters, rolling hills, and volcanoes -1 day = 243 Earth days -1 year = 225 Earth days -12,104 km. diameter -no moons Interesting Fact: Venus rotates in reverse (east to west). It is guessed is that something large struck it and sent it spinning the other way. Venus

6. Earth -Atmosphere is Nitrogen, Oxygen -Surface is rock, metal, water -12,756 diameter -1 year = 365 Earth days -Temperature -50ºC to 60ºC -1 Moon: Luna Interesting Fact: Earth is thought to be the only planet with water and life!

7. Mars -Very thin atmosphere: CO 2, trace oxygen -Poles are frozen CO 2 -Temperature: -80ºC to 3ºC -1day= 1.03 days (~ 24 ½ hours) -1 year = 687 days

8. - surface is red, dusty; made of iron oxide (rust) -volcanoes, canyons, canals carved by rivers of liquid nitrogen - some craters -6,794 km diameter (half of Earth!) Mars

9. -2 moons: Phobos (fear) and Deimos (panic), potato shaped, small Interesting Fact: the 2 Mars Rovers haven’t found any traces of life even at the microscopic bacterial level! Mars