The Inner Planets

Terrestrial High temperatures Closer to the Sun Closer to each other

Mercury

Closest to the Sun Only 88 days to

orbit Many craters Temperature

extremes 400C during day, -

180 at night

Basically no atmosphere

Mercury

Mercury is not the hottest planet even though it is the closest to the Sun

Venus Earth’s sister planet Morning and evening

star Thick atmosphere of

CO2 and Sulfur Longer day than year Spins opposite than

other planets Over 500C all the

time Hottest planet in

solar system

Venus

The atmosphere of Venus contains a high percentage of carbon dioxide that holds heat in the planet's atmosphere.

The atmosphere of Venus is made of thick clouds of sulfuric acid and carbon dioxide, which makes it very hot.

Earth

Home sweet home Only planet with

sustained life Hydrosphere

(water) Atmosphere made

up of N, O, CO2 Comfy temps

Earth

Earth has fewer craters than other terrestrial planets because of its atmosphere (upper) which destroys meteorites.

Mars

Frozen polar CO2 caps

Smaller than Earth Slightly longer day

and year Very cold Largest mountain

in solar system Olympus Mons

Thin atmosphere

Mars

Mars has frozen polar ice caps and is known as the most like Earth.

Asteroid Belt

Separates the inner and outer planets

Possibly an annihilated planet

Most asteroids hang out here

Outer Planets

Gas giants No solid surface, just thick

atmosphere All very large Very far apart from each other All have rings

Jupiter

Could hold 1300 Earths

Almost big enough to be a star

12 EY = 1 Jovian year 1 Jovian day = 12 EH Huge storms

Great red spot “hurricane” larger than Earth

Some moons may have water

Jupiter is largest planet in the solar system.

Jupiter can fit all of the other planets inside this gas giant and there would still be space left over.

Saturn

29 years to orbit Large rings made

of ice and dust 10 hour day Possibly still

forming Tilts itself

Saturn

Saturn is known for its’ rings and is the least dense planet. It would float in a swimming pool if we had one big enough to put this planet into.

Uranus

Blue in color due to methane gas

84 years to orbit Rotates sideways Very cold

-250C

Uranus

Uranus also has rings, but lies on its side so the rings go around it vertically.

Neptune

Methane atomosphere

164 years to orbit -250c temps 30 times farther

from the sun than Earth

Neptune

Neptune is blue because it is mostly made of a gas called methane

Pluto

Pluto is not a planet, because of its size and irregular orbit.