Download Characteristics Cards KEY

Grade 6
Science
Unit: 08 Lesson: 01
Characteristics Cards KEY
Note: Some numeric values may differ depending on the research source used. Accept reasonable differences.
Name: Sun
Name: Mercury
Period of Rotation: The apparent rotation of the star, as
viewed from Earth, at its equator is about 25–28 days.
Period of Rotation: 58.6 days
Period of Revolution: 87.9 days
Period of Revolution: It takes the solar system about
225–250 million years to complete one orbit of the
galaxy.
Orbit: 26,000 light-years (2.47954 X 10 17 km) from the
center of the Milky Way
Location: Close to the inner rim of Orion Arm in the
Milky Way galaxy
Size/Mass: 1.989 X 1030 kg
Atmosphere: Mostly hydrogen which extends past the
orbit of Pluto
Physical Properties: Composed of hydrogen that
changes to helium during nuclear fusion. The Sun is
powered by the energy produced in the core and
therefore, produces basically all of the heat and light
received on Earth.
Orbit: 1st from the Sun; 58,000,000 km
Location: 0.387 AU; 58 million km (36 million miles)
Size/Mass: 33 X 1022 kg
Terrestrial or Gas Giant: Terrestrial
Atmosphere: It has an exceptionally thin atmosphere
composed of sodium and potassium gas.
Physical Properties: Close to the Sun, very cold at night
and very hot during the day, craters
Name: Venus
Number of Moons: 0
Period of Rotation: 243.1 days
Period of Revolution: 224.7 days
Orbit: 2nd from the Sun
Location: 0.723 AU; 108 million km (67.24 million miles)
Size/Mass: 487 X 1022 kg
Terrestrial or Gas Giant: Terrestrial
Atmosphere: Carbon dioxide with minor amounts of
nitrogen and trace amounts of nitrogen, helium, neon,
and argon
Physical Properties: About the same size of Earth, thick
cloud cover traps much of the Sun's heat causing the
hottest average temperature of all the planets
Name: Earth
Number of Moons: 1
Period of Rotation: 23 hours 53 minutes
Period of Revolution: 365.3 days
Orbit: 3rd from the Sun
Location:1 AU; 150 million km (92.9 million miles)
Size/Mass: 598 X 1022 kg
Terrestrial or Gas Giant: Terrestrial
Atmosphere: Nitrogen and oxygen and minor amounts
carbon dioxide, ozone, argon, and helium
Name: Mars
Number of Moons: 2
Name: Jupiter
Number of Moons: Has 62 moons, 50 official, and 12
unofficial
Period of Rotation: 9 hours 55 minutes
Period of Revolution: 4,332.9 days
Orbit: 5th from the Sun
Location: 5.203 AU; 778 million km (483.88 million miles)
Size/Mass: 190,000 X 1022 kg
Terrestrial or Gas Giant: Gas giant
Atmosphere: Mainly helium and hydrogen with trace
amounts of water, ammonia, methane, and other
carbon compounds
Temperature:
Physical Properties: Has a red spot where a giant storm
has been raging for at least 300 years, has no solid
surface, has a faint ring, under its atmosphere there is
a large liquid ocean of hydrogen and water
Physical Properties: Has atmosphere and temperature
ranges which allow life, has liquid water
Period of Rotation: 24 hours 37 minutes
Period of Revolution: 686.9 days
Orbit: 4th from the Sun
Location:1.524 AU; 228 million km (141.71 million miles)
Size/Mass: 64.2 X 1022 kg
Terrestrial or Gas Giant: Terrestrial
Atmosphere: Thin layer of mainly carbon dioxide;
nitrogen, argon, and small traces of oxygen and water
vapor also present
Temperature:
Physical Properties: Has much higher mountains and far
deeper canyons than the Earth, temperature ranges
similar to Earth, may have frozen water at poles
©2012, TESCCC
05/08/12
page 1 of 3
Grade 6
Science
Unit: 08 Lesson: 01
Name: Saturn
Number of Moons: Has 53 official moons and 9 unofficial
moons.
Period of Rotation: 10 hours 13 minutes
Period of Revolution: 10,759.2 days
Orbit: 6th from the Sun
Location: 9.539 AU; 14.29 million km (887.14 million
miles)
Size/Mass: 56,900 X 1022 kg
Terrestrial or Gas Giant: Gas giant
Atmosphere: Thick atmosphere of hydrogen and helium;
methane and ammonia also present
Physical Properties: Atmosphere of methane and helium,
no solid surface, first planet discovered to have rings.
The sky gradually turns into liquid until it becomes an
ocean of liquid chemicals.
Name: Uranus
Number of Moons: 21
Period of Rotation: 17.2 hours
Period of Revolution: 30,684 days
Orbit: 7th from the Sun
Location: 19.18AU; 2,871million km (1,783.98 million
miles)
Size/Mass: 8,690 X 1022 kg
Terrestrial or Gas Giant: Gas giant
Atmosphere: Mainly of hydrogen and minor amounts of
helium and methane
Physical Properties: Spins on its side, has a large rocky
core, almost identical to the planet Neptune, has dark
rings, cold
Name: Neptune
Number of Moons: 13
Period of Rotation: 16 hours 17 minutes
Period of Revolution: 60,190 days
Orbit: 8th from the Sun
Location: 30.06 AU; 4,504 million km (2,796.46 million
miles)
Size/Mass:10,280 X 1022 kg
Terrestrial or Gas Giant: Gas giant
Atmosphere: Mainly hydrogen and helium, small
amounts of methane
Physical Properties: Has six rings, has a storm called
The Great Dark Spot, has faint rings, cold
Galilean Moons: Students may have to perform specific searches for orbital periods.
Name: Io
Name: Callisto
Name: Ganymede
Distance from Planet:
Distance from Planet:
Distance from Planet:
421,600 km
1,883,000 km
1,070,000 km
Location: 5th from Jupiter
Location: 8th from Jupiter
Location: 7th from Jupiter
Orbital Period of
Orbital Period of
Orbital Period of
Revolution: 1.769 days
Revolution: 16.689 days
Revolution: 7.154 days
Other Characteristics:
Other Characteristics:
Other Characteristics:
Active volcanism; sulfur,
2nd largest moon, cratered Largest moon in solar
©2012, TESCCC
05/08/12
Name: Europa
Distance from Planet:
670,900 km
Location: 6th from Jupiter
Orbital Period of
Revolution: 3.551 days
Other Characteristics:
4th largest moon, ice, may
page 2 of 3
Grade 6
Science
Unit: 08 Lesson: 01
iron, and rocky material;
3rd largest moon
©2012, TESCCC
surface, ice, thin
atmosphere
system, ice, grooved
terrain on cratered surface
05/08/12
have ocean under surface
of ice, smallest moon, has
phases like Earth’s moon
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