Mercury is a planet in our solar system with the following traits:
Size: 3,031 miles wide (4,878 km)
Location in Solar System: 1st planet from the sun
Distance from Sun: 36 million miles (58 million km)
Year (length of revolution around sun): 88 earth days (shortest in solar system)
Day (length of rotation): 59 days (earth time)
Landscape: Pocked with craters like the moon, because there is no atmosphere to burn up meteors. It has daytime temperatures of 800°F (400° C) and nighttime temperatures of -300°F (-185° C).
Moons: none
Venus is a planet in our solar system with the following traits:
Size: 7,520 miles wide (2,100 km)
Location in Solar System: 2nd planet from the sun
Distance from Sun: 67 million miles wide (108 million km)
Year (length of revolution around sun): 225 days (earth time)
Day (length of rotation): 243 days (earth time) (day is longer than the year)
Landscape: Rocky planet with active volcanoes. Temperature stays at 900°F (500° C) by thick CO2 atmosphere (90 times thicker than the earth’s atmosphere).
Moons: none
Earth has the following traits:
Size: 7,926 miles wide (12,756 km)
Location in Solar System: 3rd from the sun
Distance from Sun: 93 million miles (150 million km)
Year (length of revolution around sun): 365 days
Day (length of rotation): 24 hours
Landscape: Earth’s crust is made up of shifting tectonic plates that move over a thick, rocky mantle. 75% of it is covered with water. It is tilted on its axis creating seasons. It has active volcanoes and is the only planet with life. It’s atmosphere is made up of nitrogen and oxygen. The range of temperatures around the planet average 57.2°F (14°C)
Moons: 1 moon
Mars is a planet in our solar system with the following traits:
Size: 4,217 miles wide (6,787 km)
Location in Solar System: 4rth planet from the sun
Distance from Sun: 142 million miles (2228 million km)
Year (length of revolution around sun): 697 earth days
Day (length of rotation): 24 hours and 37 minutes (earth time)
Landscape: Similar to Earth with mountains, deserts, volcanoes and even dry riverbeds, but no bodies of water or life as we know it. There are even polar ice caps.
Moons: 2 moons: Phobos and Deimos
Jupiter is a planet in our solar system with the following traits:
Size: 87,000 miles wide (140,000 km)
Location in Solar System: 5th planet from the sun
Distance from Sun: 484 million miles (779 million km)
Year (length of revolution around sun): 12 earth years
Day (length of rotation): 10 earth hours
Landscape: A small rock core is at the center of this gas giant, surrounded by solid and liquid hydrogen and helium. The gaseous outside is kept in place by strong gravity. The large spot seen on Jupiter is a giant storm that has been raging for centuries.
Moons: 16 moons
Uranus is a planet in our solar system with the following traits:
Size: 31,500 miles wide (50,700 km)
Location in Solar System: 7th planet from the sun
Distance from Sun: 1.78 billion miles (2.86 billion km)
Year (length of revolution around sun): 84 years (earth time)
Day (length of rotation): 17 hours (earth time)
Landscape: One of our solar system’s gas giants, Uranus is tilted on its side compared to the other plants. A small rock core at its center is surrounded by molten hydrogen, helium, methane and water. The methane in its atmosphere accounts for its blue color.
Moons: 17 moons
Saturn is a planet in our solar system with the following traits:
Size: 75,000 miles wide (120,000 km)
Location in Solar System: 6th planet from the sun
Distance from Sun: 888 million miles (1.43 billion km)
Year (length of revolution around sun): 29 earth years
Day (length of rotation): 11 hours (earth time)
Landscape: Saturn is one of our gas giants. It has a rock core that is surrounded by hydrogen and helium in solid and liquid form. The outside layer is a thick cloud of gas. It is a very windy planet, which is why the outside looks streaked with color. It spins around on its axis at breakneck speed. Saturn has rings that you can see through a telescope. Its rings are only about 30 feet (10 m) wide. They are made of dusty ice chunks that orbit around Saturn. Saturn’s gravity keeps the ice chunks from spreading out.
Moons: 18 moons
Neptune is a planet in our solar system with the following traits:
Size: 31,000 miles wide (50,000 km)
Location in Solar System: 8th planet from the sun
Distance from Sun: 2.8 billion miles (4.4 billion km)
Year (length of revolution around sun): 164 earth years
Day (length of rotation): 16 hours (earth time)
Landscape: One of the gas giants, Neptune is a windy planet, with storms raging all the time. Large oval storms can be seen on its surface. Its blue color doesn’t come from water, but from methane in its atmosphere.
Moons: 16 moons
