Download Compare and contrast the planets in terms of

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
STANDARD:
Compare and contrast the planets in terms of:
1. Size
2. Surface and atmosphere
3. Distance from sun
4. Ability to support life
THE SUN
• MADE OF GAS: 75%
hydrogen and 25%
helium
• The ONLY star in our
solar system
• The sun takes up 99.8%
of the space of our solar
system
• 11,000 ° F
(water boils at 212 ° F)
Astronomical Units = AU
•AU’s make it easier to
measure distances in the
solar system.
•The Earth is about
93,000,000 miles from the
sun.
•So we will call this
distance 1 AU.
Terrestial
Planets
(Rocky Planets)
1. Mercury
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•
•
•
•
•
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COMPOSITION: ROCK (iron core)
DISTANCE: 0.39 AU
ATMOSPHERE: NO atmosphere
ROTATION: 58 days, 19 hrs
REVOLUTION: 88 Earth days
MOONS: None
LIFE: No, there is NO atmosphere
2. Venus
• COMPOSITION: ROCK (iron core)
• DISTANCE: 0.72 AU
• ATMOSPHERE: THICK: Carbon
dioxide
• RETROROTATION: 243 Earth days, 16 hrs
• REVOLUTION: 224.7 Earth days, 17 hrs
• MOONS: None
• LIFE: No, Venus rains strong acid rain
3. Earth (US!)
• COMPOSITION: ROCK (iron core)
• DISTANCE: 1 AU
• ATMOSPHERE: 78% nitrogen, 21%
oxygen, small amount of carbon
dioxide and other gases
• ROTATION: About 24 Earth hours
• REVOLUTION: 365 Earth days
• MOONS: 1
• LIFE: Yes, there is liquid water and
appropriate heat
4. Mars
• COMPOSITION: ROCK (iron core)
• DISTANCE: 1.52 AU
• ATMOSPHERE: 95.3% carbon
dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, 1.6% argon
• ROTATION: 24 hrs, 40 min
• REVOLUTION: 1 year, 322 days
• MOONS: 2
• LIFE: No, it’s too cold and there is
only trace amounts of oxygen.
Gas Giants
5. Jupiter
• COMPOSITION: Gases and ice
• DISTANCE: 5.2 AU
• ATMOSPHERE: 82% hydrogen, 18%
helium
• ROTATION: 9 hrs, 54 min.
• REVOLUTION: 11 yrs, 313 days
• MOONS: 63 +
• RINGS: Dark, narrow rings of dust
• LIFE: No, it’s frozen
6. Saturn
• COMPOSITION: Gases and ice
• DISTANCE: 9.5 AU
• ATMOSPHERE: 97% hydrogen, 3%
helium
• ROTATION: 10 hrs, 42 min
• REVOLUTION: 29 years, 155 days
• MOONS: 19 (maybe more)
• RINGS: Thick rings of ice and dust
• LIFE: No, it’s frozen
7. Uranus
• COMPOSITION: Gases and ice
• DISTANCE: 19 AU
• ATMOSPHERE: Hydrogen, helium,
methane
• RETROROTATION: 17 hours, 12 min
• REVOLUTION: 83 years, 273 days
• MOONS: 27
• RINGS: Rings of ice and dust
• LIFE: No, it’s frozen
8. Neptune
• COMPOSITION: Gases and ice
• DISTANCE: 30 AU
• ATMOSPHERE: 74% hydrogen, 25%
helium, 1% methane (icy blizzards)
• ROTATION: 16 hrs, 6 min
• REVOLUTION: 163 yrs, 263 days
• MOONS: 8
• RINGS: Several faint rings of ice
• LIFE: No, it’s frozen
9. Pluto
• COMPOSITION: ROCK (and ice)
• DISTANCE: 39.5 AU
• ATMOSPHERE: Mainly icy nitrogen and
methane
• RETROROTATION: 6 days, 10 hrs
• REVOLUTION: 248.4 yrs, 4 days
• MOONS: 3 (maybe more)
• RINGS: None-very faint (at times)
• LIFE: No, it’s frozen