Our 8 Planets

1
Our 8 Planets
Images courtesy of nineplanets.org
2
Mercury

• Closest to sun
• Very similar to the moon (craters)
• Smallest planet

3
Venus

• Brightest planet in the night sky
• Many volcanoes
• No magnetic field and no moons

4
Earth

• 71 of the earths surface is covered in water
• Earth is the only planet with terrestrial life
• One natural satellite called the moon, but many
  artificial satellites have been put into orbit

Image courtesy of nineplanets.org
5
Mars

• The Red Planet
• Olympus Mons- The largest mountain in the solar
  system

Image courtesy of nineplanets.org
6
Jupiter

• Largest planet in the solar system
• The Great Red Spot (big enough to hold 2 earths!)
• Jupiter has very faint rings

7
Saturn

• Second largest planet in the solar system
• Many rings, most composed of rocks and ice
• Saturn has at least 34 known natural satellites

Image courtesy of nineplanets.org
8
Uranus

• First planet discovered in modern times
• Mostly composed of rocks and ice, and about 15
  hydrogen and a little helium (unlike Jupiter and
  Saturn)
• 11 rings very faint
• 15 natural satellites

9
Neptune
Image courtesy of nineplanets.org

• Fastest winds in the solar system
• Blue in color
• Internal heat source - radiates more than twice
  as much energy as it receives from the Sun
• Great Dark Spot
• 13 natural satellites