Download Inner Planets

Inner Planets
Expert Group
Characteristics, Size, and Appearance:
There are four inner planets in our solar system. The planets include
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The inner planets are the closest planets to
the sun. Because of this, the inner planets are warmer than the outer planets.
The inner planets are solid and have hard surfaces.
Mercury is a ball of rock. It is the smallest planet.
Venus goes through phases like our moon. This planet is covered with
clouds which trap heat from the Sun. Its diameter is about 95% of the
diameter of the Earth.
Earth is the largest of the inner planets.
Mars has a cold thin atmosphere.
Composition:
The inner planets are made of hard surfaces, which are rock and metal.
Mercury is dry and rocky. It also has craters on its surface created by
meteorites. Venus is covered with thick clouds of acid. Its thick atmosphere
traps heat. The planet Earth is the only planet with liquid and known life. Mars
is composed of rocks and is known as the “red” planet. Its atmosphere is very
cold.
Location:
The inner planets are closest to the sun. The planet Mercury is 36
million miles from the sun, which makes it the closest planet to the sun. Venus
is 66.8 million miles from the sun and is the second planet from the sun. Our
planet Earth is the third planet from the sun and is 94.5 million miles from the
sun. The planet Mars is 154.8 million miles from the sun and is the fourth
planet from the sun.
Movement:
The inner planet’s movements are very different from each other. The
planet Mercury is the fastest moving planet at 30 miles per minute. Venus
rotates in the opposite direction of the Earth. Looking from the north, Venus
rotates clockwise, while the other planets rotate counterclockwise. Earth
rotates in 24 hours and orbits the sun in 365 days. The planet Mars spins
slowly. Its rotation of 1 day would be 176 Earth days.
Extra:
The inner planets are also called the terrestrial planets because they are
more like the planet Earth. Mercury and Venus have no moons. Venus is the
hottest planet at 900 degrees. Venus is known as the "morning star" or the
"evening star" since it is visible and quite bright at either dawn or dusk. Earth
is the only planet with life and is tilted on an axis. It has one moon that goes
through phases. Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system and has two
moons.