The Solar System

1
The Solar System

• Overview of the Planets

2
SUN

• Closest star to the Earth
• Contains about 98 of all mass (rocks, dust
  and gas) in the Solar System
  
• Surface Temperature- 10,000 degrees
  Fahrenheit (same Temp. as Earths core)
  
• Atmosphere- 92.1 hydrogen 7.8 helium
• Largest object in the Solar System 4.6 billion
  years old
  
• Rotates every 26.8 days at the equator
• About 93 million miles from Earth
• Supports life on Earth
• Connection and interactions between the Sun
  and Earth drive the seasons, ocean currents,
  weather, and
  
• climate.

3
Closest planet to the Sun Orbits the Sun about
every 88 days Surface temperature ranges from -29
7 to 870 degrees Fahrenheit Atmosphere- about the
same as Earth (Nitrogen and Oxygen)
Distance from the Sun- about 36 million miles
Due to the Suns solar winds, Mercury has almost
no air Has no water, but has cliffs and valleys j
ust like Earth One Mercury Day 176 days Earth da
ys Travels 104,000 mph around the Sun (40,000 mph
faster than Earth About 36 million miles from th
e Sun Name originated from The Roman God Hermes
-Messenger of the Roman Gods
4

• Second planet from the Sun
• Surface Temperature- 854 degrees Fahrenheit
• Atmosphere- made up of Carbon Dioxide and
  Nitrogen
  
• No moons or rings
• 67.2 million miles from the Sun
• Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty
  
  
• Avg. of 225 Earth days for Venus to orbit the
  Sun
  
• One school day would last 4 months
• Surface pressure to 900 meters deep in the
  ocean
  
• Reflects so much sunlight ( brightest planet in
  the sky)
  

5
Third planet from the Sun Consists of air, wa
ter, land , and life Atmosphere- Nitrogen and O
xygen, little Carbon Dioxide Consists of one mo
on 93 million mile from the Sun Surface Temp
erature Ranges from -126 to 136 degrees
Fahrenheit Earth orbits the Sun every 365 days
(1year)
6
Fourth planet from the Sun Land Formation- rocky,
dusty ,and dry It has polar ice caps, volcanoes,
canyons and four seasons (the seasons on Mars
are twice as long) Atmosphere- Carbon Dioxide, Ni
trogen, and Argon Surface Temperature ranges from
-125 to 23 F (very cold) Named for the Roman go
d of war Mars takes 687 days to orbit the Sun M
ars is 142 million miles from the Sun
7
Fifth planet from the Sun Surface Temperature
-234 degrees Fahrenheit Atmosphere- Hydrogen an
d Helium Biggest Planet in the Solar System (more
than 1,321 Earths could fit into Jupiter
Named for the king of the ancient Roman Gods (Ze
us in Greek) Jupiter has 63 moons (considered a s
olar system in itself) It has 3 rings It takes J
upiter 12 years to orbit the Sun
483 million miles from the Sun
Know as a giant ball of gas
8
Sixth planet from the Sun (2nd largest in Solar
System Surface Temperature -288 degrees Fahren
heit Atmosphere- Hydrogen and helium Wind Spee
ds at Saturns equator- 1,100 mph
(Earths most violent tornadoes hit 200mph)
Named for the Roman god of agriculture
Rings are made of small chunks of ice and rock
886 million miles from the Sun
It takes 30 Earth years for Saturn to orbit the
Sun 56 moons orbit Saturn
9
Seventh planet from the Sun (3rd largest SS)
Atmosphere-Hydrogen and Helium ( small amounts
methane, traces of water and ammonia
Surface temperature -350 degrees Fahrenheit
The core heats up to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit
Methane gives it the bluegreen color
Consists of 11 rings Takes 84 Earth years to orbi
t the sun 1,740,000,000 million miles from the Su
n 27 moons orbit Uranus Surface Pressure- extrem
ely thick, so thick it squishes into liquid
10
Eighth planet from the sun Surface Temperature -
353 degrees Fahrenheit Extremely Windy on Neptun
e (more than 1200 mph) Atmosphere- Hydrogen , Hel
ium, and Methane 60 Earths could fit inside Nept
une 2.8 billion miles from the Sun Orbits the su
n every 165 years 16 Earth hours in a Neptune day
(Earth has 24 hrs/day) Blue color methane gas f
rom Neptunes clouds Has four rings and known moo
ns
11
Named a dwarf planet Define A "dwarf planet"
is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around
the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-
gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it
assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round)
shape, (c) has not cleared the neighborhood aro
und its orbit (d) is not a satellite. Avera
ge Temperature -356 degrees Fahrenheit
3.6 billion miles from the Sun (average)
Takes 248 years to orbit the Sun
6.4 Earth days 1 Pluto day
12
Sun Jupiter Mercury Saturn Venus Uranus
Earth Neptune Mars Pluto Sources Photo Ima
ges and Information Martin, David. Solar System
Exploration. 2007. National Aeronautics and
Space Administration. 20, Feb.
2007. fm Animations Best Animations. 2007. 20, Feb.
2007. EarthSpace.html Greek Philosopher. 2006. 20 F
eb. 2007 ge.bkgStars2.htm