The Planets

Mrs. Cothery’s 7th grade class

The Solar System Our solar system is made up of eight

individual and unique planets and is nearly five billion years old.

There are over 170 moons, thousands of asteroids and many dwarf planets.

Everything orbits around the sun. The four planets closest to the sun are

called terrestrial planets because they have solid rocky surfaces.

The four planets beyond mars are called the gas planets.

The Sun

The Sun The Sun is the largest star in the solar

system. It is about 333,000 times the size of earth.

It contains 99.8% of all the mass in the

solar system. It is 1.4 million kilometers wide. The sun is filled with scorching hot gases. The temperature is about 10,000 degrees

Fahrenheit at the core. The sun holds the solar system together,

and gives it light, heat and energy.

Mercury

Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, and can reach temperatures of 801 degrees Fahrenheit.

It has very little atmosphere to trap heat, so the temperatures at night can plummet to -279 degree Fahrenheit.

The sun looks up to three times larger on Mercury than in does on Earth.

It is the second smallest planet in the solar system.

Venus

Venus From Earth, Venus is the brightest object

in the night sky. Venus is similar to Earth’s size. It has a think, rapidly spinning

atmosphere. The surface pressure is 90 times of the

pressure on Earth. The atmosphere consists mainly of carbon

dioxide. The surface temperature can be over 880

degree Fahrenheit. One day on Venus is equally to 117 Earth

days.

Earth

Earth The only known planet to support life. Has a thin atmosphere that protects us. We are about 93,000,000 miles away

from the sun. Our atmosphere consists of 78%

nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other ingredients.

Our atmosphere shields us from the harmful sun’s rays.

Our molten nickel-iron core gives us our magnetic field.

Our oceans are at least 2.5 miles deep.

Mars

Mars Known as the red planet Made up of a rocky surface The surface is covered in volcano's,

shifting tectonic plates and meteor impacts.

It has seasons that change it polar ice caps.

Mars often has large dust storms. It is believed that 3.5 billion years ago

Mars experienced great flooding.

Jupiter

Jupiter The solar systems largest planet. Jupiter atmosphere is made up of

hydrogen and helium. Jupiter has four planet size moons. It is very similar to a large star. Its four moons are called Io, Europa,

Ganymede, and Callisto. It has clouds made of ammonia. Jupiter's surface does contain water. It is famous for its great red spot, which

is a huge storm that has been around for over 300 years.

Saturn

Saturn It is one of the large gas giants. It is made up of mostly hydrogen and

helium. The yellow and gold banding is made by

fast winds in the upper atmosphere. Galileo was the first person to see

Saturn. Saturn's volume is 755 times greater

that Earth. Saturn’s rings are the most complex and

extensive in the solar system. Saturn has 52 known moons.

Uranus

Uranus Spins on an axis that mostly faces the

sun. The large amount of methane gas in its

atmosphere give it the distinct bright blue color.

Uranus has 11rings It is one of the large gas planets. It atmosphere is made up of hydrogen

and helium. It magnetic field is tipped over. Uranus has 27 known moons.

Neptune

Neptune The furthest planet in our solar system. It also gets it blue coloring from the

methane gas in its atmosphere. Large storms are are common

occurrence on Neptune. It is nearly 2.8 billion miles away from

the sun. Its atmosphere extends to great depths,

gradually merging into water and other melted ices.

The axis of Neptune’s magnetic field is tipped over bout 47 degrees.

References“Mars”, www.blogs.smithsonianmag.com, May 4, 2013“Mercury”, www.solrsystem.nasa.gov, May 4, 2013“NASA- Sun Emits a Mid-Level Flare”, www.nasa.org,

May 4, 2013.“Neptune”, www.solarsystem.nasa.gov. May 4, 2013"Nine Planets." The Solar System Tour. May 4, 2013.“The Planets”, www.solarsystem.nasa.gov, May 4, 2013“Saturn”, www.nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov, May 4, 2013"Science." National Geographic. May 4, 2013.“Uranus Fact Sheet”, www.nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov, May 4,

2013“Venus”, nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. May 4, 2013“Visible Earth”, visibleearth.nasa.gov. May 4, 2013