Information About the Planets

Mercury Closest to the Sun Only 88 days to

orbit Many craters Temperature

extremes◦ 400C during day, -

180 at night Basically no

atmosphere

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

Earth Home sweet home Only planet with

sustained life Hydrosphere

(water) Atmosphere made

up of N, O, CO2 Comfy temps

Mars Frozen polar CO2

caps Smaller than Earth Slightly longer day

and year Very cold Largest mountain in

solar system◦ Olympus Mons

Thin atmosphere

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

Saturn 29 years to orbit Large rings made

of ice and dust 10 hour day Possibly still

forming Tilts itself

Uranus Blue in color due to

methane gas 84 years to orbit Rotates sideways Very cold

◦ -250C

Neptune Methane

atomosphere 164 years to orbit -250c temps 30 times farther

from the sun than Earth