The Solar System and its Planets
Our Solar System is based in the galaxy The Milky Way.The Milky Way is the home to eight planets, along with other floating objects such as asteroids,comets,moons and random pieces of space junk. Planet earth is the only known planet to have the right qualities to host human life forms. Below is some quick facts about each planet, then a summary of the planet Saturn as that was my chosen planet to research about further in class.
Mercury
Mercury is the closest of all the planets to the Sun. Because this planet orbits so close to the Sun, and a result of this , it is visiable from Earth in the late evening or early morning in the sky. The morning star is the name given to Mercury as it shines brightly in the early hours of the day just before the sun rises. It has also earned its name the evening star for the same reason.
Facts about Mercury: Mercury is 58 million kilometers from the sun.
The planet is 4880 kilometers in diameter.
It has no moons and no atmosphere.
It is approximately 450 degrees celcius.
Facts about Mercury: Mercury is 58 million kilometers from the sun.
The planet is 4880 kilometers in diameter.
It has no moons and no atmosphere.
It is approximately 450 degrees celcius.
Venus
The planet Venus has be one of the most misunderstood of all planets. Similar to Earth , Venus has an atmosphere but the difference is , is that it is more thicker then Earth's which makes it hard for science to pass through it. Recently Scientists have been able to get through the thick clouds and have a glimpse of this planets surface. The surface is known to be covered in mountains and volcanoes. Their is still alot unknown about Venus but thanks to science vast variety of probes and instruments they have been slowly unlocking the secrets of this planet.
Facts about Venus:
Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system it is roughly 449 degrees celcius.
Just like Mercury, Venus has no moons.
It is 107 million million kilometers from the sun.
Venus is the 2nd closest planet to the sun.
The atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
Facts about Venus:
Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system it is roughly 449 degrees celcius.
Just like Mercury, Venus has no moons.
It is 107 million million kilometers from the sun.
Venus is the 2nd closest planet to the sun.
The atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
Earth
Earth is the biggest of all terrestial planets. A terrestrial planet is a dense planet found in the inner parts of the Solar System. The diameter of Earth is 7,926 miles. There are currently nearly 7 billion peopling living on Earth. About 30% of Earth's surface is covered with land and the rest being covered with oceans. Earth has only one moon named Lunar.
Facts about Earth:
There are multiple layers that Earth is made up of.
It has an inner core, outer core, mantle and crust.
Earth is 4.45 billion years old.
The planet has a diameter of 12756.2 kilometers.
Earth orbits the sun at a speed of 29.78 kilometers per second.
Facts about Earth:
There are multiple layers that Earth is made up of.
It has an inner core, outer core, mantle and crust.
Earth is 4.45 billion years old.
The planet has a diameter of 12756.2 kilometers.
Earth orbits the sun at a speed of 29.78 kilometers per second.
Mars
Mars' mild temperament excites scientists as it is much like earth more than any of the other planets. Evidence suggests that rivers, streams, lakes and even an ocean were on the surface of Mars. Today the only water on Mars is either frozen in the polar caps or underground. Mars can also be referred to as the 'Red Planet' this is because their is red dirt and rocks all over the planets surface.
Facts about Mars:
Mars has 2 moons.
229 million kilometers from the sun.
1 rotation is 24hours and 37mins.
1 orbit of the sun is 687 days.
Facts about Mars:
Mars has 2 moons.
229 million kilometers from the sun.
1 rotation is 24hours and 37mins.
1 orbit of the sun is 687 days.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest of all planets in our Solar System which can fit Earth inside itself more than 1000 times. Jupiter is a very stormy planet and never ending storms can be found throughout the planet. The many different types of storms make the planet Jupiter colourful. Jupiters great red spot is a giant storm that has been raging for at least 300 years. This storm's super hurricane winds blow across an area larger than the Earth. This planet is considered a gas giant because it has no solid surface. Under its atmosphere is a large liquid ocean of hydrogen and water. Jupiters ocean has no surface on which you could float a object. The sky becomes the ocean on Jupiter.
Facts about Jupiter:
It has 28 moons.
1 day on Jupiter is equivalent to 10 hours on Earth.
Jupiter is 142 984 kilometers in diameter.
It is approximately 778 million kilometers from the sun.
Facts about Jupiter:
It has 28 moons.
1 day on Jupiter is equivalent to 10 hours on Earth.
Jupiter is 142 984 kilometers in diameter.
It is approximately 778 million kilometers from the sun.
Saturn
Saturn is the 6th planet from the sun, it was named after the Greek god of agriculture Saturn. Every 10.66 earth hours Saturn rotates on its axis. The planet Saturn has at least 56 moons , eight of them being quite large. The diameter of this planet from side to side is 120 536 kilometers. Saturn orbits the sun in just under 30 years and is made up of 75% hydrogen and 25% helium which classifies as a gas planet which means that no life could live on it. This planet has such a low density that it would float on water if it could be put on a large enough body of water. Saturn is the only planet that could do this.
Facts about Saturn:
It is approximately 160 degrees celcius.
The planet has three rings around it.
Saturn has 21 moons.
Saturn is known as a gas giant because most its outer layers are made up of gas.
Facts about Saturn:
It is approximately 160 degrees celcius.
The planet has three rings around it.
Saturn has 21 moons.
Saturn is known as a gas giant because most its outer layers are made up of gas.
Uranus
Like Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus is a gas giant. Unlike all the other planets and most of the moons in the Solar System, Uranus spins on its side. It is believed that long ago an object smashed into this planet causing Uranus to change its rotational direction completely. A more recent theory explain the tilt of the planet and how it may have been cause by a large moon that was slowly being pulled away from the planet by another large planet long ago. It is thought that the gravitionial pull of this moon moving away caused the tilt. Uranus is an extremely cold planet and is made up of hydrogen, methane and helium. Because of the tremendous planetary pressure of Uranus, there could possibly be trillions of large diamonds inside or on the surface of Uranus.This planet is almost identical to the planet Neptune.
Facts about Uranus:
50 Earths can fit inside Uranus.
Uranus is turned over and rotates on its side.
Uranus has only been visited by only pne spacecraft, voyager 2 on January 24, 1986.
The wind speeds on Uranus can reach up to 250 miles per second.
Facts about Uranus:
50 Earths can fit inside Uranus.
Uranus is turned over and rotates on its side.
Uranus has only been visited by only pne spacecraft, voyager 2 on January 24, 1986.
The wind speeds on Uranus can reach up to 250 miles per second.
Neptune
Neptune is a very windy planet. No other planet in the Solar System has winds that are as strong as Neptune's. The winds near the Great Dark Spot were believed to have reached nearly 1,200 miles per hour. This extremely windy atmosphere could possibly contribute to the appearance and dosappearance of the great dark spots.
Facts about Neptune:
The temperature drop as low as -200 degrees celcius.
On the surface the wind speeds can reach 2000 kilometers per hour.
Neptune has 13 moons.
It has 3 main planetary rings.
Facts about Neptune:
The temperature drop as low as -200 degrees celcius.
On the surface the wind speeds can reach 2000 kilometers per hour.
Neptune has 13 moons.
It has 3 main planetary rings.
Reference:
Mrs Hackney, Class Notes. 2012, Mercy College Mackay
Kidsknowit.com, Facts about Solar System, 8.8.12, http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm
Denise Oliveri, Facts about Planets, 10.8.12 , http://suite101.com/article/facts-about-solar-system-planets-a25687
Kidsknowit.com, Facts about Solar System, 8.8.12, http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm
Denise Oliveri, Facts about Planets, 10.8.12 , http://suite101.com/article/facts-about-solar-system-planets-a25687