Download The Inner Planets

The Inner Planets
Mercury
Diameter – 4,879 km
Size relative to Earth: about the size of Earth’s moon
Surface/Atmosphere: flat plains and craters; no
atmosphere
Rotation: 59 Earth days
Revolution: .24 Earth years
Distance: 58,000,000 km
Moons: 0
Support Life: No
Mercury
 Not much larger than Earth’s
moon.
 Its interior is made up of the dense
metal iron.
 Mercury’s atmosphere is very thin.
 It has the largest range of
temperature of any planet.
Venus
Diameter: 12,104 km
Size relative to Earth: about the same size
Surface/Atmosphere: volcanoes and plains; very
thick
Rotation: 243 Earth days
Revolution: .62 Earth years
Distance: 108,000,000 km
Moons: 0
Support Life: No
Venus
 Similar in size and mass to Earth, so it is called
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Earth’s twin.
Venus rotates so slowly that its day is longer than its
year.
Venus rotates east to west – called retrograde
rotation.
Atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide.
Average temperature is 460°degrees.
Earth
Diameter: 12,756 km
Size: Earth
Surface/Atmosphere: land and liquid water; 78%
nitrogen, 21% oxygen
Rotation: 24 hrs
Revolution: 365 ¼ days
Distance: 150,000,000 km or 93 million miles
Moons: 1
Support Life: Yes
Earth
 70 % covered with water.
 The only planet that supports life.
 Two other unique traits of Earth:
Suitable temperature range for water to exist as
solid, liquid, or gas
2. Water shapes the Earth’s surface
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Mars
Diameter: 6,794 km
Size relative to Earth: ½ the size of Earth
Surface/Atmosphere: rocky surface; 95% carbon
dioxide
Rotation: 1.03 Earth days
Revolution: 1.9 Earth years
Distance: 228,000,000 km
Moons: 2
Support Life: No
Mars
 Called the red planet.
 Atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide.
 Has seasons like Earth because its’ axis
is tilted.
 Surface covered with craters and
volcanoes.