Download the major characteristics of each planet

2.1j
describe the main physical characteristics of the planets (including surface
features, atmosphere, temperature and composition)
THE MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH PLANET
MERCURY
Closest to the Sun
VENUS
Hottest (475˚C)
Spins opposite way
(retrograde)
EARTH
Life
MARS
Red Planet
JUPITER
Biggest Planet
Rings
SATURN
Rings visible from Earth
URANUS
Axis tilted on its side
Rings
NEPTUNE
Blue Planet
Coldest Planet
Rings
SURFACE FEATURES OF THE PLANETS
MERCURY Rocky, with many lunar-like craters up to 200 km across.
2 km-4 km high cliffs, hundreds of kilometres long, caused by
the planet cooling and shrinking. Darkest surface of all the planets.
VENUS
Surface hidden by clouds. Detail found by radar. Mostly rolling
plains with impact craters up to 100 km. Active volcanoes.
Rift valleys thousands of kilometres long.
EARTH
71% covered by water. 29% covered by land.
MARS
The red planet because of iron-rich rocks and dust.
Valles Marineris is a huge Grand Canyon 4,000 km long, 600 km wide and 7 km deep.
Olympus Mons – a volcano 26 km high.
Seasonal polar ice-caps - made of carbon dioxide.
JUPITER
Gas giant
SATURN
Gas giant
URANUS
Gas giant
NEPTUNE
Gas giant
The 4 inner planets are all small and rocky
The 4 outer planets are all gas giants
ATMOSPHERE OF THE PLANETS
MERCURY
Virtually nil
Traces of Oxygen, Sodium,
Potassium and Helium
VENUS
Dense atmosphere
Carbon Dioxide 97%
Nitrogen 3%
Clouds with Sulphuric Acid
EARTH
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Argon
MARS
78%
21%
1%
Thin
Carbon Dioxide 96%
Nitrogen
3%
JUPITER
Dense atmosphere
Hydrogen
90%
Helium
10%
Traces of Ammonia ice and
Ammonium Hydrosulphide
Winds of 360 km/hour
Great Red Spot
SATURN
Dense atmosphere
Hydrogen
96%
Helium
3%
Methane and Ammonia
Winds of 1,800 km/hour
Great White Spot
URANUS
Dense atmosphere
Hydrogen
83%
Helium
15%
Methane
2%
Greenish tint to atmosphere
NEPTUNE
Dense atmosphere
Hydrogen
84%
Helium
14%
Methane
2%
Blue colour to atmosphere
Great Dark Spot
All the gas giants are made of gases similar to the Sun – hydrogen and helium
Smaller inner planets have lower gravity – too small to keep much atmosphere
TEMPERATURES OF THE PLANETS
MERCURY
Day Night + 350˚C
- 170˚C
VENUS
Day Night + 475˚C
similar to daytime
(due to greenhouse gases)
EARTH
Highest
Lowest + 55˚C
- 88˚C
MARS
Day
Night
+ 27˚C
- 123˚C
JUPITER
Surface
- 153˚C
SATURN
Surface
- 185˚C
URANUS
Surface
- 214˚C
NEPTUNE
Surface
- 225˚C
The further from the Sun, the colder the planet becomes (the exception is Venus
because its atmosphere contains a high concentration of greenhouse gases)
COMPOSITION OF THE PLANETS
MERCURY
Core – Large and iron rich
Crust – Thin, with a low density
VENUS
Core – Mainly iron and nickel
Crust – Relatively thin
EARTH
Core – Solid inner section of iron and
nickel, liquid outer section
Mantle – Iron/Magnesium silicates
Crust – Thin with tectonic plates
MARS
Core – Solid, mainly iron + some nickel
Crust – Thick compared to Earth
JUPITER
Core – Small, solid, iron rich at 30,000 K
Above the core, the pressure is so great
(about x3 million Earth atmospheres)
that a liquid, metallic hydrogen zone
is formed
SATURN
Core – Small and solid at 15,000 K
Surrounding the core is metallic hydrogen
with liquid hydrogen and helium further out
URANUS
Core – Small and rocky at 6,400 K
Mantle – Liquid of water, ammonia,
methane and other hydrocarbons
(pressure about x5 million Earth
atmospheres prevents evaporation)
NEPTUNE
Core – Small and solid made of iron and
magnesium silicates at 4,450 K
Mantle - Liquid of water, ammonia and
methane (pressure of several million Earth
atmospheres prevents evaporation)
The mass of Jupiter is x2.5 the mass of all the other planets in the Solar System
Picture credits for each page : (Earth) NASA-JSC Apollo 17 (Other planets) NASA-JPL