Download The Solar System Inner Planets 14.3

The Solar System
Inner Planets 14.3
Components of our Solar System
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Planets
Star
Comets
Asteroids
Satellites
Space Trash
Dark Matter
Particles (Dust)
Electromagnetic radiation
(Photons)
Planets
• There are 8 planets:
Gas Giants
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Mercury
Venus
Terrestrial
Planets
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus (YOOR uh nus)
Neptune
Pluto
Inner Planets
• Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are called
the inner planets
• The four inner planets are small and
dense and have rocky surfaces
• They are often called the terrestrial planets
Earth
• Atmosphere extends
100+km above the
surface.
• Atmosphere is 78%
Nitrogen; 21% Oxygen
• Earth is unique in our
solar system in having
liquid water on its
surface
• 70% of Earth’s surface
is covered in water.
Earth
• 3 main layers: crust,
mantle, and core
• Dense core made of
iron and nickel.
Mercury
• Closest to the sun
• Similar in size to the
Earth’s moon (smallest
planet)
Why is it difficult for astronomers to learn
about Mercury?
Mercury
• Very little atmosphere,
causing the environment to
be extreme
– Day time temp: 600 degrees
Celsius (840o F)
– Nighttime temp: -200
degrees Celsius (-300o F)
• Made up mainly of dense
metal irons and nickel.
Venus
• Similar in size to Earth
(Earth’s twin)
• Venus’s density and internal
structure are similar to
Earth’s
• Takes about 7.5 Earth
months to revolve around the
sun
• Takes 8 months to rotate on
its axis
• Rotates from east to west
(retrograde rotation)
Venus
• Very thick atmosphere, never
has a sunny day (clouds=
sulfuric acid)
• Pressure of Venus’
atmosphere is 90x greater
than that of the Earth’s
• Atmosphere= mostly CO2
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Surface temp: 600 degrees Celsius due
to the greenhouse effect. HOT
ENOUGH TO MELT LEAD!!!!!!
Mars
• Called the “red planet”
due to it’s reddish
hue.
• Atmosphere: 95%
CO2 and only has 1%
of the pressure of
Earth’s atmosphere.
Mars
• Temperatures range
from -140oC to 20oC
• Some water remains
in the form of ice at its
north pole.
• Scientists think that
water flowed on Mars’s
surface in the past
Mars
• Has seasons just like
Earth because of it’s tilt.
• The largest volcano in our
solar system is on Mars:
Olympus Mons – it is
three times the height of
Everest and covers the
state of Missouri
• Mars has 2 small moons:
Phobos (27 km diameter)
and Deimos (15 km
diameter)
Homework
• Read Section 3, Chapter 14
• Do the review questions on page 559