Sun, Planets, Space

Table of contentsPg 1 Sun Picture

Pg 2 Sun facts

The Sun

• The Sun gives life to the Earth and the Earth would have no life at all without the energy it receives from the Sun.

• The Sun is only one of millions and millions of stars in the Galaxy.

• We see it as a large round red ball only because we are much closer to the Sun than to any of the other stars.

• The Sun measures 2,715,395 miles around (circumference).• The Sun is 92.96 million miles from the Earth.• Sometimes darker spots are seen on the surface of the Sun.

These are magnetic areas which are cooler than the rest of the Sun. They are called Sunspots.

What is a Solar Storm?

• Giant storms that occur on the Sun.• They often occur at the Sunspots, where gases

explode into hot, bright flares.• Fiery ribbons and loops of gases rise from the

Sun’s surface and moves into its corona. • The flares shoot off the at speeds of more than 500

miles in a single second.

Solar Flares

Solar Flare

How do planets move?

• The planets move in an orbit.• Some orbit are shorter than others.

Inner Planets

• Mercury• Venus• Earth• Mars

What is it like on Mercury?

• Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.• Mercury is half the size of Earth.• It takes Mercury 88 days to orbit the Sun.• Mercury does not have much of an atmosphere.• Mercury does not have much air and has NO water. • Mercury is VERY hot on the side that faces the Sun and very

cold on the side that faces away from the Sun.• No one has visited Mercury but space probes have been

sent to take pictures. Mercury’s surface is covered with craters.

Mercury

What is it like on Venus?

• Venus is the second planet from the Sun.• Venus is only slightly smaller than Earth. It has been called

Earth’s twin because of its size, but Venus is very different from Earth.

• It takes about 225 days for Venus to complete its orbit around the Sun.

• Venus has NO water.• Venus does have an atmosphere made up mostly of

carbon dioxide, this gas makes the air very thick. It traps heat, making Venus the hottest planet in the solar system.

Venus

Venus

What is it like on Earth?

• Earth is the third planet from the Sun.• It is the only planet known to have living things.• Earth’s atmosphere keeps it from getting very hot or

very cold.• Earth has water.• Earth also has oxygen in its atmosphere.• These things support life.

Earth

What is it like on Mars?

• Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, has two moons. • Mars is about half as wide as Earth, and it takes about

years to orbit the Sun.• Mars has a thin atmosphere made up mostly of carbon

dioxide.• Strong winds create large dust storms.• With its reddish surface, Mars is known as “the red planet”.• Craters and volcanoes that are no longer active cover most

of its surface.

Mars

Mars

Outer Planets

• Jupiter• Saturn• Uranus• Neptune• Pluto (Dwarf planet)

What is it like on Jupiter?

• Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun.• Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.• Jupiter takes about 12 years to complete it orbit around the

Sun.• Jupiter has 16 moons that scientists know about.• Jupiter is made up mostly of gases. It has a thick, cloudy

atmosphere that hides its surface.• The top of the atmosphere in VERY cold. Inside Jupiter is

hotter than the surface of the Sun.• The Great Red Spot of Jupiter is a large, permanent storm.

Jupiter

Jupiter

Jupiter Moon’s

What is it like on Saturn?

• Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun.• Saturn is the second-largest planet in the solar system.• Saturn is made up mostly of gases.• Its thick atmosphere is very cold.• Saturn has thousands of beautiful rings. The rings are

made up of ice and different sized rocks.• Saturn has 18 known moons.• It take Saturn 29.5 years to complete its orbit around the

Sun.

Saturn

Saturn

What is Uranus like?

• Uranus is the 7th planet from the sun.• It is surrounded by a bluish fog.• Uranus is so far away it is hard to see even with a telescope.• Uranus is about 32,190 miles across, and it takes 84 years to

orbit the Sun.• It has at least 17 moons.• Uranus has 10 rings.• It also has a very tilted axis.• Uranus is called the “sideways planet” because it rotates on

its side.

Uranus

Uranus

Neptune

• Neptune is the 8th planet from the Sun.• Neptune take 165 years to orbit the Sun.• Neptune has 8 moons.• Neptune is a “gas giant” its gases give it a

blue-green color.• It is very cold in its upper atmosphere but very

hot at its center.• Uranus has rings.

Uranus

Neptune