Download CALLED THE RED PLANET

PLANET FACTS
General Science 8
Name ________________________
Period _____
A YEAR ON THIS PLANET IS ONLY 88 EARTH DAYS WHICH
MAKES IT THE SHORTEST PERIOD OF REVOLUTION OF ALL THE
PLANETS; BECAUSE OF THIS, IT WAS NAMED AFTER THE
ROMAN MESSENGER GOD
OF THE MANY CRATERS IN ITS SURFACE, BACH AND MOZART
ARE TWO OF THE NAMES; BECAUSE THERE IS NO ATMOSPHERE
OR WEATHER, CRATERS REMAIN FOREVER
ALSO BECAUSE IT HAS LITTLE ATMOSPHERE, IT HAS THE
GREATEST FLUCTUATIONS IN DAYTIME AND NIGHTIME
TEMPERATURES.
EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES DUE TO THE HIGH
AMOUNTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) IN ITS THICK
ATMOSPHERE CAUSING THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT; HOT
ENOUGH TO MELT LEAD
IT IS THOUGHT TO HAVE HAD A LARGE IMPACT IN ITS HISTORY
THAT CAUSED IT TO ROTATE BACKWARDS (RETROGRADE
ROTATION) AT A VERY SLOW RATE – A DAY TAKES LONGER
THAN A YEAR ON THIS PLANET
NICKNAMES FOR THIS PLANET INCLUDE “EARTH’S TWIN,” “THE
MORNING STAR,” AND “THE EVENING STAR.”
BECAUSE OVER 70% OF ITS SURFACE IS COVERED WITH
WATER, THE TEMPERATURE STAYS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE
LIMITS FOR LIFE; IN FACT, THIS IS THE ONLY PLANET KNOWN
TO CONTAIN LIFE
LAYERS OF THIS PLANET INCLUDE THE CRUST, MANTLE AND
CORE
CALLED THE RED PLANET WHICH ALSO EXPLAINS WHY IT IS
NAMED AFTER THE ROMAN GOD FOR WAR
IT WAS BELIEVED BY EARLY ASTRONOMERS TO HAVE A
SERIES OF CANALS BUILT ON IT BY INTELLIGENT LIFE FORMS
(MARTIANS)
PHOBOS AND DIEMOS ARE THIS PLANET’S ONLY MOONS
THE LARGEST OF THE PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
THE GREAT RED SPOT ON THIS PLANET IS ACTUALLY A HUGE
HURRICANE, BIG ENOUGH TO FIT THREE EARTH’S INTO IT
ALTHOUGH IT HAS MANY MOONS, THE 4 LARGEST WERE
OBSERVED BY GALILEO AS FAR BACK AS 1610; THESE MOONS
ARE NAMED IO, EUROPA, GANYMEDE AND CALLISTO
IT HAS THE MOST VISIBLE RING SYSTEM, COMPOSED OF MANY
ORBITING CHUNKS OF ROCK AND ICE (SATELLITES)
TITAN IS THIS PLANET’S LARGEST MOON
AXIS IS TILTED 90o SO IT SPINS ON ITS SIDE
IT APPEARS BLUE IN COLOR BECAUSE OF THE TRACES OF
METHANE GAS IN ITS ATMOSPHERE
IT WAS DISCOVERED BY ENGLAND AND FRANCE BY A
MATHEMATICALLY EQUATION BEFORE IT WAS ACTUALLY
SEEN BY A GERMAN ASTRONOMER
NAMED AFTER THE GOD OF THE SEA; RELATED TO THIS IS THE
FACT THAT ITS LARGEST MOON IS NAMED TRITON
ITS ORBIT CROSSES WITH PLUTO’S ORBIT SOMETIMES MAKING
IT FARTHER FROM THE SUN, BUT NOT VERY OFTEN
BECAUSE OF ITS SIZE, IT WAS RECLASSIFIED AS A DWARF
PLANET IN 2006.
IT HAS ONE MOON THAT IS NEARLY AS BIG AS ITSELF. THE
MOON’S NAME IS CHARON AND THEY ORBIT EACH OTHER