Inner and Outer Planets
Inner Planets Terrestrial planets are those that are closest to the Sun. Terrestrial planets are made mostly of rock and have similar characteristics to Earth. There are four terrestrial planets in our solar system. Mercury Venus Earth Mars Inner Planets
Mercury Closest to the sun No moons Extremely hot temperatures on one side and extremely cold temperatures on the other. Now the smallest planet in our solar system Physically, Mercury is similar in appearance to our moon as it is heavily cratered. Mercury has a rocky body like the Earth, but its atmosphere is very thin or weak. Brain Pop Mercury
Second planet from the sun Rotates in the opposite direction than earth Venus has no moons Is the hottest planet Has the most dense atmosphere than any of the terrestrial planets Mainly consists of carbon dioxide but also some deadly acids The carbon dioxide traps thermal energy causing a greenhouse effect-causing the temperature to be so high Average temperature 464*C Venus: Earth s Twin
Venus Venus is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon, and sometimes looks like a bright star in the morning or evening sky. We can't see the surface of the planet because it has a very thick atmosphere filled with clouds that strongly reflect sunlight. Brain Pop Venus
Earth Earth is the water planet, which is the reason for the survival of life on this planet. Temperatures on Earth are warm enough to keep the water from freezing but cool enough to keep it from boiling away. Earth has three layers: 1. The crust is the outer layer of the Earth. 2. The mantle lies below the crust. It contains denser rocks. 3. The core, at the center, contains the heaviest material (nickel and iron). 4. Brain Pop Earth
Mars Mars is called the red planet. The reddish color is caused by rust (iron oxide) in the soil. Most studied planet other than earth. Mars is a cold planet because of its thin atmosphere and distance from the sun. The pressure is so low in the atmosphere that any liquid water would quickly boil away. The only water found on Mars is in the form of ice. Brain Pop Mars
Mars Dry river beds on Mars indicates that there possibly was water in the past. Mars now has two polar icecaps that contain frozen water and carbon dioxide.
Asteroid Belt The Terrestrial Planets are separated from the Gas Giants by the asteroid belt. The asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter. Gas Giant There are four Gas Giants (outer planets): Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
The first of the outer planets. Is the largest planet! Considered to be a gas giant made mostly of hydrogen and helium. Known for its giant red spot. This spot has a diameter three times that of earth. Jupiter has about 63 moons and a ring system. The four of Jupiter s natural satellites are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Jupiter Io has active volcanoes, and Europa has the possibility of a water environment friendly to life.
Saturn The second largest planet in the solar system. Saturn gives off a lot of energy caused by helium raining out of the atmosphere and sinking to the core. So Saturn is still forming! The composition of Saturn's atmosphere includes more sulfur. This adds to Saturn's overall yellow appearance. Although the gas giants have rings, Saturn s rings are the largest. The rings consist of icy particles that range in size from a few centimeters to several meters across.
Uranus Uranus has some of the brightest clouds in the outer solar system and 11 rings. No solid surface ; Uranus's interior is primarily made of methane ice. One especially unusual quality of Uranus is that it is tipped over on its side. The axis of rotation is tilted by almost 90 For part of a Uranus year, one pole points toward the sun while the other pole is in darkness.
Neptune Warm gases rise and the cool gases sink, setting up the wind patterns in the atmosphere that create the belts of clouds. Neptune's winds are three times stronger than Jupiter's and nine times stronger than Earth's. Voyager 2 images also revealed that Neptune has a set of very narrow rings (six rings to be exact). This hurricane-like 'Great Dark Spot' was observed to be large enough to contain the entire Earth, spun counterclockwise, and moved westward at almost 750 miles per hour.
What about Pluto? On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) formally downgraded Pluto from an official planet to a dwarf planet. One of the criteria for being an official planet is that a planet must have cleared other things out of the way in its orbital neighborhood. Pluto does not meet this criteria. Pluto orbits among the icy wrecks of the Kuiper Belt (a region of the Solar System beyond the planets) and Ceres.
Are made of rock Are closer to the sun Smaller than the outer planets Some have water on them Have hard surfaces No rings In our solar system Are planets Separated by the asteroid belt All revolve around the sun Are made of gas Are farther from the sun Bigger than the inner planets No water, but some have ice Do not have hard surfaces Could have rings