The Planets of the Solar System

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The Planets of the Solar System

• A Trip Through the Solar System

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Mercury - named after the speedy messenger of the
Roman gods

• Closest planet to the sun
• Revolution around the sun 88 Earth days
• Rotation on its axis 59 Earth days
• Crater-covered surface with steep cliffs
• Almost no atmosphere
• Temperature range
• as high as 427 degrees C
• as low as -170 degrees C

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Mercury - named after the speedy messenger of the
Roman gods
http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/mercury.ht
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Venus - named after the Roman goddess of beauty
and love

• Second planet from the sun
• About the same size as Earth
• Thick, cloudy atmosphere
• sulfuric acid
• carbon dioxide
• Temperature range
• as high as 480 degrees C

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Venus - named after the Roman goddess of beauty
and love

• Surface pressure 91 times more than Earths
• Surface has
• deep canyons and tall mountains
• craters
• vast plains
• Revolution around the sun 224 Earth days
• Rotation on its axis 243 Earth days

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Venus - named after the Roman goddess of beauty
and love

• Greenhouse effect
• heat becomes trapped beneath the clouds
• results in little or no water on Venus surface

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Venus - named after the Roman goddess of beauty
and love
http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/venus.htm
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Earth

• Third planet from the sun
• Revolution around the sun 365 days
• Rotation on its axis 24 hours
• Because the axis of the Earth is tilted, this
  creates distinct seasons throughout the year

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Earth

• Temperature range depends on the location,
  altitude and season
• Gravitation pull of the moon creates tide changes
  (rise and fall of the ocean levels)
• Surface -
• Mountains
• Plains
• Deserts
• Heavy vegetation

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Earth
http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/earth.htm
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Mars - named after the Roman god of war

• Fourth planet from the sun
• Surface
• rocky
• large craters
• soils is similar to Earths soil in many ways
• four large volcanoes (dormant)

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Mars - named after the Roman god of war

• northern ice cap
• frozen water
• southern ice cap
• frozen carbon dioxide
• Very thin atmosphere
• High winds often create dust storms
• Temperate falls well below 0 degrees C all the
  time

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Mars - named after the Roman god of war
http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/mars.htm
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Jupiter - named after the king of the Roman gods

• Fifth planet from the sun
• Largest planet
• Made of mainly
• hydrogen
• helium
• Temperature range -
• very cold at the cloud tops
• as high as 30,000 degree C at the core

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Jupiter - named after the king of the Roman gods

• Atmosphere
• hydrogen
• helium
• ammonia
• methane
• Great Red Spot
• hurricane-like storm (as much as 20,000 years old)

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Jupiter - named after the king of the Roman gods

• Very high atmospheric pressure
• Giant magnetic field
• created by the liquid metallic layer
• called magnetosphere

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Jupiter - named after the king of the Roman gods
http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/mars.htm
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Saturn - named after the Roman god

• Sixth planet from the sun
• Surrounded by rings
• made of icy particles
• has at least seven major rings
• Made of mainly
• hydrogen
• helium

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Saturn - named after the Roman god

• Violent atmospheric storms
• Very cold
• Has a large magnetic field
• Lowest density of all the planets

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Saturn - named after the Roman god
http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/saturn.htm
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Uranus - named after the father of Saturn in
Roman mythology

• Seventh planet from the sun
• Atmosphere
• hydrogen
• helium
• methane
• Temperature range
• as low as -220 degree C at the cloud tops

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Uranus - named after the father of Saturn in
Roman mythology

• Extreme atmospheric pressure
• atmosphere is 11,000 kilometers thick
• Rotates on its axis at a 90 degree angle
• appears laying on its side
• Rings of methane ice surround it

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Uranus - named after the father of Saturn in
Roman mythology
http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/uranus.htm
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Neptune - named after the Roman god of the sea

• Eighth planet from the sun
• Atmosphere
• hydrogen
• helium
• methane
• Temperature
• as low as -220 degrees C

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Neptune - named after the Roman god of the sea

• Surface
• ocean of water and liquid methane
• rocky core
• Five rings surround Neptune
• made of dust particles formed from meteorites

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Neptune - named after the Roman god of the sea
http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/neptune.ht
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Pluto - named after the Roman god of the
underworld

• Ninth planet from the sun
• Smallest planet
• Least dense planet
• Seems to be made primarily of methane ice
• Thin atmosphere (only on the sunny side)
• methane ice evaporated to form this

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Pluto - named after the Roman god of the
underworld
http//pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/pluto.htm
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Other Websites
Planet Scapes
Views of the Solar System
Interactive Planet Tour
Planetary Paths
Orbital Motions - The Inner Planets