The Inner Rocky Planets

By:Joyce Lee and Kay LimAnd Kay Lim

Key Terms! AU- stands for astronomical unit, and it’s the

distance between the earth and the Sun Terrestrial planets- The inner planets that are

closest to the Sun. Also another name that inner planets are called.

Moon- a natural satellite of any planet Atmosphere- the envelope of gases

surrounding any planet Orbit- the path that is taken by an object

moving around a larger object in space

Inner Planets None of the inner planets have rings Orbit the sun more quickly Spin more slowly Elements on the inner planets are more

closely packed together, allowing them to be smaller on solid

All the inner planets are solid, but you would only be able to survive on Earth

Mercury It’s the smallest inner planet, and closest

to the sunMercury is composed of iron and nickelHas many flat plains and crates on its’

surface, the craters show how little Mercury has changed

Mercury Virtually has no atmosphere, daytime

temperatures cause gas particles to move very fast, because there is no atmosphere, heat escapes into space at night

Has no moons Has a .39 AU distance to the sun Period of rotation around the sun is 59 days

Venus Venus’s density and internal structure similar to

Earth The atmosphere is very thick, so it’s always cloudy,

the clouds are mostly droplets of sulfuric acid Pressure is so great, it is 90 times greater than

Earth’s Has no moons

Venus The surface of Venus has many

volcanoes, and broad plains formed by lava flows

Has an AU of .72 to the sun Period of rotation around the sun is 243days. Traps heat by its atmosphere, known

as the greenhouse effect.

Earth Atmosphere protects the planet from dangerous

radiation and helps keep valuable sunlight in… therefore, it keeps life surviving

Has a magnetic field Has one moon Composed of a mixture of various rocks and

minerals

Earth The temperature varies at different climates Earth’s core is made of mainly iron and nickel, the

outer core is liquid, but the inner core is solid Has an AU of 1 Largest inner planet Period of rotation around the sun is 1 day Only inner planet that carries water

Mars Has two moons-named Phobos and Deimos Last inner planet Known as Red Planet due to the rust of iron-rich

materials that form its’ surface Has a thin atmosphere It is believed that water once existed on the

planet might have leaked into space

Mars Has a network of canals and canyons Mars’ atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide Has seasons just like earth Some parts on Mars has giant volcanoes Period of rotation around the sun is 1.03 days

Quiz!1. What is does AU mean?

a. Alternate universeb. Astronomical unitc. Gold in the periodic tabled. None of the above

2. How many moons does Mars have?a. 2b. 9c. 1d. 7

3. Which is the largest inner planet?a. Venusb. Marsc. Earthd. Mercury

4. What’s the smallest inner planet? a. Mercury b. Earth c. Venus d. Mars5. True or False? Venus’s density and internal structure similar to Earth

6. How many days does it take for the Earth to make one rotation around the Sun? a. 10 b. 1 c. 5 d. 20

7. True or False? Earth is not protected by a magnetic field 8. True or False? The pressure of the atmosphere on Venus is greater than Earth’s 9. How many terrestrial planets are there? a. 1 b. 4 c. 5 d. 810. True or False? Earth is the only inner planet that contains water

Answer Key1. B2. A3. C4. A5. True6. B7. False8. True9. B10. True