The Solar System(On the next page, click on a planet to

learn about it, then click on the spaceship

to go back to the Solar System)

Mercury• Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun• It takes Mercury 88 days to orbit the Sun• Mercury’s temperature can get as high as

750 degrees Fahrenheit and as low as -328 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Diameter= 3100 miles• Mercury has no moons• There is no possibility of life on Mercury• NASA’s latest mission to Mercury is called

the Messenger and the spacecraft entered Mercury’s orbit in March 2011… and is currently sending back pictures of the planet.

Venus• Venus is the 2nd planet from the Sun• It is the brightest planet in the Solar

System• Venus orbits around the Sun in 262 days• Venus is named after the Roman Goddess

of love and beauty• Diameter= 7520 miles• Venus has no moons• This planet can get as hot as 860 degrees

Fahrenheit, which makes it the hottest planet in the Solar System

• The surface of Venus is covered by clouds of water vapor and sulfuric acid, which makes it impossible for there to be life on this planet

EARTH• Earth is the 3rd planet from the Sun• It is the only planet that has an atmosphere

containing 21% oxygen• It is the only planet that has life• Earth has 1 moon• It takes Earth 365 days to orbit around the

Sun, which is 1 year• It is the only planet with liquid water on the

surface• Diameter= 7928 miles• Earth orbits around the Sun on its axis,

rotating right round in 24 hours, which is one day.

Mars• Nickname= The Red Planet• Mars is the 4th planet from the Sun• Mars has seasons like earth• Mars has 2 moons named Phobos and

Deimos• Diameter=4222 miles• The temperature can get to -125 degrees

Fahrenheit in the winter and to 23 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer

• A year on Mars is 1 year and 320 days• Mars is covered by craters from asteroids

and meteorites hitting the planet• Mars has dust storms that can blanket

almost the entire planet in just a few days

JUPITER• 5th planet from the Sun• Named after the ancient Roman Sky-god,

Jupiter, known to the Greeks as Zeus• Diameter= 88,700 miles• Gas giantentirely composed of gas• Jupiter has 64 moons• It is the stormiest planet in the Solar

System• On August 5th, 2011, NASA launched an

unmanned spacecraft named Juno to Jupiter to try and learn more about the planet. It will take the spacecraft 5 years to get to Jupiter.

Saturn• 6th planet from the Sun• Saturn has rings surrounding it• The rings all orbit Saturn at different speeds

and have gaps between them• 18 moons• Largest planet in the Solar System• Diameter= 75,098 miles• It takes 29.5 years for this planet to make

one orbit around the Sun• The temperature on Saturn is too difficult

for scientists to figure out, but at this planets highest point the temperature can get to -270 degrees Fahrenheit

Uranus• 7th planet from the Sun• Has 27 moons• Gas giantentirely composed of gas• It takes this planet 84 years to complete an

orbit around the Sun• Diameter= 29, 297 miles• This planet was discovered by William

Hershel in 1781• Uranus orbits on its side which causes one

side of the planet to be in total darkness for a quarter of its orbit

Neptune• 8th planet from the Sun• Neptune was named after the Roman God

of the Sea• Neptune is the 3rd largest planet• Diameter=30,250 miles• Gas giantentirely composed of gas• It takes Neptune 165 years to orbit around

the Sun• Neptune has 13 moons• The average temperature on Neptune is -

328 degrees Fahrenheit

Images and Work Citedhttp://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/solar-system-nasa.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__bqXP4eg7X8/TIgHU4hoLYI/AAAAAAAABV8/VKqq1UTq5FQ/s1600/Venus-2.jpg

http://www.dogster.com/files/Mercury-60584068.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Earth_from_Space.jpg

http://onlinelearningtips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mars-geology.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Jupiter.jpg/480px-Jupiter.jpg

http://learn.reynolds.edu/jmbarnes/stu24/Space%20Images/saturn[1].jpg

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/image/neptune_voy2.jpg

http://www.alpcentauri.info/uranus.jpg

http://www.planetsforkids.org

http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/pics/8/3677/how-to-draw-a-spaceship.jpg