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Space Facts Section B – The Planets Mercury Closest planet to the Sun Takes the least amount of time to orbit the Sun Not large enough for its gravity to hold onto a moon or much of an atmosphere. No Moons Venus The surface is hot (869) and the atmosphere is dense and contains carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. Second planet from the Sun Earth Has volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Sunlight, a nitrogen and oxygen-rich atmosphere Large oceans and the greenhouse effect makes climates that supports life. Third planet from the Sun. Mars The largest canyon in the solar system Called the Red Planet Valles Marineris, is as wide as the United States. Might have had running water at one time. Has ice caps Largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons Jupiter The largest planet has an atmosphere of cold hydrogen gas. It has many moons, so far 17 have been found. It has a giant red spot that is thought to be a storm Saturn Mostly gas, but less dense, making it very light that it could float on water. It has 18 moons. It is known for its beautiful rings which are made of millions of bits of ice. Uranus Atmosphere of methane gas set of dark, narrow rings that run from top to bottom, instead of around. Neptune Is the bluest planet because of its methane gas atmosphere Its moon, Triton, has volcanoes Crosses Pluto’s path as it orbits the Sun Has a set of dark rings Pluto Does not have a thick atmosphere Discovered in 1930 Has one moon called Charon Smallest planet Covered by layers of ice Asteroids A wide belt of small objects that orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. Sometimes called minor planets. Might be the remains of planets pulled apart or leftovers from the formation of the solar system Meteors Parts or pieces of meteoroids that fall from space No bigger than a grain of sand Sometimes called a Shooting star. Meteoroids Part of the dust and gas trail left behind by a comet Meteorite A piece of rock that falls and lands on the Earth from space Comets These are chunks of ice and rock left over from the formation of our solar system They move around the Sun in a long oval-shaped orbits How are meteors related to comets? Meteors are the dust and rock particles that fall from the tail of a comet Scientist attempt to find out if there is other intelligent life in the universe Scientist use radio telescopes to try to detect signs of life sending coded messages called SETI into space