The Solar SystemThe Solar System

Terrestrial PlanetsTerrestrial Planets

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

MercuryMercury

• Fastest revolving planet

•Diameter: 4,880 km (3,100 miles)

•Named after the Roman Messenger god

(Hermes)• Very Thin Atmosphere-Sodium & Helium

(almost non-existent)• Looks similar to Earth’s Moon•Temperatures: 90 K to 700 K.

•Rotates backwards (Retrograde)•radius 6051 km / 3760 mi •surface temperatures near 460°C

VenusVenus

•Atmosphere is mostly made of CO2

•Hottest planet in the Solar System due to the Greenhouse Effect•Length of its day is longer than its year•Covered by ancient lava flows & extinct volcanoes•Named after the Roman goddess of Love & Beauty (Aphrodite)

Earth

•93.3 million miles from sun 93.3 million miles from sun •Diameter: 7,926 miles Moons: 1. Length of year: 365.25 days.Diameter: 7,926 miles Moons: 1. Length of year: 365.25 days.•The average surface temperature of 55 ° F (13 ° C) The average surface temperature of 55 ° F (13 ° C) •The earth has one natural satellite, the The earth has one natural satellite, the moon. •Atmosphere

•21% Oxygen•78% Nitrogen•1% other Gases

•Half the size of Earth

MarsMars

•Polar ice caps made of frozen CO2 (Dry Ice)•Largest volcano/mountain in the Solar System (Olympus Mons)

•Red color because of Iron oxide (rust) in the rock

•Viking 1 & 2 landers were the 1st to take pictures of the surface•Named after the Roman god of War (Ares)•It has 2 moons (Phobos & Deimos)

Temperature fluctuations from -207 degrees to a comfortable 80 on summer days 142 million miles from the sun. Diameter: 4,220 miles. Moons: 2. Length of year: 687 Earth days.

•The atmosphere on Mars is •95% carbon dioxide, •3% nitrogen, •1.6% argon, with only a trace of oxygen and water.

Jovian PlanetsJovian Planets

Jupiter

Uranus

Saturn

Neptune

JupiterJupiter

•Largest planet in the Solar System•Large rotating hurricane “Great Red Spot”•Hit by the pieces of Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet•Has a faint ring system•Has 16 named moons (63) •Almost became a star

•Gives off more energy than it receives

•Named after the Roman King of the gods (Zeus)

483 million miles from sun. Diameter: 88,672 miles. 483 million miles from sun. Diameter: 88,672 miles. Moons: 16. Length of year: 11.9 Earth years. Moons: 16. Length of year: 11.9 Earth years.

Like Saturn, it is a Like Saturn, it is a hydrogen / helium hydrogen / helium

atmosphere planet with a atmosphere planet with a presumed innermost core presumed innermost core

of rocky composition of rocky composition of of metallic hydrogen and metallic hydrogen and

heliumhelium,,

•2nd largest planet

SaturnSaturn

•Very complex/elaborate ring system made of rock & ice•21 named moons (31)•Named after the Roman god of Agriculture (Cronus)

•radius 60 000 km / 37 000 mi

Like Jupiter, it is a hydrogen / helium planet with a presumed innermost core of rocky composition and several Earth masses, an outer core of metallic hydrogen and helium, a liquid mantle of hydrogen / helium, and an atmosphere about 1000 km / 600 mi deep.

•Rotates on its side

UranusUranus

•15 named moons (27)•Only visited by Voyager 2•Named after the Roman god of the Sky (Uranus)

•1,783 million miles from sun. •Diameter: 31,000 miles. •Length of year: 84 Earth years.

Uranus' atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium, and methane

•Methane gas gives it its blue color

NeptuneNeptune

•Large Hurricane “Great Dark Spot” (no longer present)•Visited by Voyager 2•Named for the Roman god of the Sea (Poseidon)• Fastest winds in the Solar System

•3,666 million miles from sun. Diameter: 1,860 miles.

•Its composition is presumed to be rock and ice, •with a thin atmosphere of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and methane.

The Other PlanetThe Other Planet

Pluto

PlutoPluto

•Smallest planet •Made of frozen gases (possible extinct comet)•Moon (Charon) is half the size of Pluto•Never visited by a satellite

•It does not orbit on the same plane as the other planets•Named after the Roman god of the Underworld (Hades)

Its composition is presumed to be rock and ice, with a thin atmosphere of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and methane.

Space ShuttleSpace Shuttle

Space ShuttleSpace Shuttle