Planet Notes

Introduction

• Our solar system formed from a swirling cloud of gas and dust.

• The sun -made from the densest matter that became very hot and started to produce its energy by nuclear fusion.

Introduction

• The remaining matter continued swirling around the sun because of the sun’s gravity and eventually clumped together to make solid forms =planets, moon, and other objects of space.

The Planets

• In order from the sun-Mercury; Venus; Earth; Mars (inner)Jupiter; Saturn; Uranus; Neptune (outer)

The Planets Mnemonic Device

• A silly sentence to help you remember the order of the planets

My MercuryVery VenusEducated EarthMother MarsJust JupiterServed SaturnUs UranusNachos Neptune

INNER PLANETS

• Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

• Terrestrial means “Earth-like”

• All have rocky surfaces like Earth.

MERCURY

• Closest to the Sun.• Thin to no atmosphere• “planet of extremes”• temps range: -170C to 425C• No moons

VENUS

• Earth’s twin• Greenhouse effect• “Evening star”• Retrograde rotation- spins

East to West• Carbon dioxide; thick

atmosphere • No moons

EARTH

• 70% water• Atmosphere -mostly

Nitrogen• Rotates West to East• 1 moon• 3rd from the sun

MARS

• “Red Planet”• Ice Caps• Thin atmosphere -mostly

Carbon Dioxide• 2 moons- Phobos, Deimos• Axis is tilted & has seasons

like Earth.

OUTER PLANETS

• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

• “Gas giants”• All have gaseous

atmospheres/surfaces.• Have rings. Some rings are

more visible than others.

JUPITER

• Largest of all planets• Has a “Great Red Spot”-

storm of swirling high-pressure gas

• Faint rings.• 4 well-known moons- Io,

Callisto, Ganymede, Europa

SATURN

• visible rings made of ice, dust, and rock.

• 2nd largest planet• Less dense than water

(would float in water)• Largest moon (Titan)- is

bigger than Mercury

URANUS

• Methane Atmosphere• Bluish in color• Rotates from top to bottom

(like a tire)• Faint rings that surround

the planet vertically (up and down)

NEPTUNE

• Atmosphere has very visible clouds.

• Has a “great dark spot”• Has Faint rings• Last planet• 8th from the sun