Solar System Data Sheet Solar Fact Sheet

Diameter Surface Temperatur

e

Interior Temperature

Rotation (Length of “Day”)

Gravity

860,000 miles

11,000o F. 28,000,000o F. 26 days at Equator/36 days at Poles

Weight on Earth x 27

Composition

Sunspots Prominences Solar Flares

Hydrogen and Helium gases

Cooler areas on the Sun’s surface (6,000o F.), can be as large as 30,000 miles across, are areas of intense magnetic activity.

Hot gases extending form surface, often in loops.

Violent explosions in Sun’s atmosphere.

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Sunspots Prominences Solar Flares

Words for Sun in Different LanguagesLanguag

eWord for

SunLanguag

eWord for

SunLangua

geWord for

SunArabic Shams Hawaiian La Russian SoinceChinese Taiyang Italian Sole Spanish SolDanish Sol Japanese Talyo Swahili JuaDutch Zon Lakota Anpetu wi Turkish GüneşFrench Soleil Navajo ShaGerman Sonne Roman Sol

PlanetsPlanet Distance

from Sun (miles)

Distance Astronomical

Unit*

Diameter

(miles)

Average Surface

Temperature

Atmosphere

Mercury 36,000,000 .4 3,032 –280o F. to 800o F. Very, very thinVenus 67,000,000 .7 7,520 870o F. Very thick;

mostly carbon dioxide

Earth 93,000,000 1 7,926 –126o F. to 136o

F.Thick; mostly

nitrogen &

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oxygenMars 141,000,000 1.5 4,222 -225o F. – 70o F. Thin; mostly

carbon dioxideJupiter 484,000,000 5.2 86,880 –240o F. Very thick,

hydrogen & helium

*An Astronomical Unit (AU) is equal to the distance to the Sun from Earth (93,000,000 miles).

Planet Distance from Sun (miles)

Distance Astronomical

Unit*

Diameter

(miles)

Average Surface

Temperature

Atmosphere

Saturn 887,000,000 9.5 72,366 –290o F. Very thick, hydrogen &

heliumUranus 1,780,000,0

0019.2 31,763 –360o F. Very thick

hydrogen, helium & methane

Neptune 2,870,000,000

30 30,778 –390o F. Very thick hydrogen, helium & methane

*An Astronomical Unit (AU) is equal to the distance to the Sun from Earth (93,000,000 miles).

Planet Composition

Length of Day (Earth

Length of Year (Earth

Moons Rings Gravity*

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hours/days) days/years)Mercury Rocky 59 days 88 days 0 No .38

Venus Rocky 243 days 225 days 0 No .91

Earth Rocky 24 hours 365 days (1 year)

1 No 1

Mars Rocky 24 hours, 40 minutes

2 years 2 No .38

Jupiter Gas Giant 10 hour 12 years 67 Yes (very faint)

2.4

Saturn Gas Giant 11 hours 29 years 62 Yes (very

bright)

1.1

*Multiply weight on Earth by this number to find your weight on other worlds.

Planet Composition

Length of Day (Earth hours/days)

Length of Year (Earth days/years)

Moons Rings Gravity*

Uranus Gas Giant 17 hours 84 years 27 Yes (very faint)

.9

Neptune Gas Giant 17 hours 165 years 13 Yes (very faint)

1.2

*Multiply weight on Earth by this number to find your weight on other worlds.

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Classifying the Planets Rocky Planets

o Mercuryo Venuso Eartho Mars

Gas Giantso Jupitero Saturno Uranuso Neptune

Classical Planets (seen without a telescope)

o Mercuryo Venuso Marso Jupitero Saturn

Modern Planets (seen with a telescope) o Uranuso Neptune

Inferior Planets (having an orbit between Earth and the Sun)

o Mercuryo Venus

Superior Planets (having an orbit farther from the Sun than Earth)

Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune

Dwarf PlanetsDwarf Planet

Diameter (miles)

Distance from Sun (miles)

Atmosphere

Pluto 1,473 2,700,000,000 (closest)

4,600,000,000 (farthest)

Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane (thin)

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Eris 1,447 3,500,000,000 (closest)

12,700,000,000 (farthest)

Unknown

Haumea Egg-ShapedPolar – 619

Equatorial – 1,281

3,300,000,000 (closest)

4,800,000,000 (farthest)

Unknown

MakeMake 882 3,500,000,000 (closest)

4,800,000,000 (farthest

Methane

Ceres 590 280,000,000 None

Dwarf Planet

Composition

Day(Earth

Hours/Days)

Year(Earth years)

Temperatures

Moons

Pluto Icy 6.4 Earth days 248 Earth years

–380o F. 5

Eris Icy Unknown 557 Earth years

–406o F. 1

Haumea Icy 3 hours 55 minutes

285 Earth Years

–402o F. 2

MakeMake

Icy Unknown 310 Earth Years

–406o F. 0

Ceres Rocky 9 Hours 4.6 Earth Years

–100o F. (HighNoon)

0

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AsteroidsCompositi

on Locations Distance from

Sun (millions of miles)

Number

Rocky bodies

Most found between orbit of Mars and Jupiter; are also found between Mars and the Sun.

Most asteroids are between 186,000,000 miles to 300,000,000 miles.

150,000,000 (larger than 100 meters)

Size Range Shape How Seen Two Largest*

From pebbles to 544 miles.

Irregular to almost round.

Cannot be seen without a telescope.

Pallas – 540 milesVesta – 524 miles

*Ceres was the largest asteroid. In 2006, Ceres was classified a dwarf planet.

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Meteoroids/Meteors/MeteoritesWhere They Come

FromSize Range Definition of a

MeteoroidDefinition of a

MeteorDefinition of a

MeteoriteMost come from particles in the Asteroid Belt.A few come from particles left from comets when Earth crosses their path.

Grain of sand to a round around 10 yards across.

Grain of sand or rock that is travelling in space.

Grain or rock that has entered the atmosphere (sometimes called “shooting” or “falling” star.)

A meteor that is large enough to survive the trip through the atmosphere and hit the Earth’s surface.

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Main Asteroid

CometsComposition Number How Seen

Water ice, dry ice, ammonia ice, dirt, and rocks. Are also called “dirty snowballs” or “icy dirtballs.”

Unknown. Estimated to be over one trillion.

Some comets are bright enough to be seen without a telescope. A telescope is needed to see most comets.

Parts of a CometNucleus Coma Tail

The actual comet; the “dirty Gases that vaporize and Made of dust particles and ~9~

Iron Meteorite Stony Meteorite Iron Meteorite

Meteor Meteoroid Meteor

snowball.” surround the nucleus as the comet gets close to the Sun.

gases pushed away from the comet by the solar wind; always points away from the Sun.

Where Comets Begin Their JourneyKuiper Belt

Where Found Distance From Sun (miles)

Number Size Period (One orbit of Sun)

Outside of Neptune’s orbit

Closest – 2,790,000,000Farthest – One light

Over one billion Small chunks to 62 miles

across.

2 to 200 years

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year (6,000,000,000,000 miles)

Note – Kuiper Belt objects cannot be seen without a telescope.Oort Cloud

Where Found Distance From Sun (miles)

Number Size Period (One orbit of Sun)

Border of Kuiper Belt to 1

light year.*

Closest – 186,000,000,000

Farthest – 6,000,000,000,000

> 2,000,000,000,000,00

0 (?)

Small chunks to 62 miles

across.

> 200 years

Note – Oort Cloud objects cannot be seen without a telescope.*A light year is the distance light travels in one year – 6,000,000,000,000 miles (six trillion).

(source: American Museum of Natural History)

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