1. Planets, Dwarf Planets and moons of our Solar System
Terrestrial Planets
Planets, Dwarf Planets and moons of our Solar System
Jovian Planets

2. Mercury Area not mapped by Mariner 10 Second smallest planet
Diameter 3,029 miles (4,875Km)
Rich in iron
Barely any atmosphere because low gravity and sun’s heat burns away
Heavily cratered due to lack of atmosphere
Gases of thin atmosphere= 52% Oxygen, 39% sodium, 8% Helium
800°F during the day, -290°F at night
28.6 million miles(46 mill km) from sun
Aphelion= 43 million miles
Perihelion= 29 million miles
Surface observations were made by the Mariner10, which passed close to Mercury in More WILL be learned from the Messenger Mission in 2011 (Japan and Europe).
Area not mapped by Mariner 10
Matisse Crater

3. Mercury-named after the god of speed for its quick revolution
Very thick iron core
Very dense planet
Iron creates magnetic field but only 1% the strength of Earth’s magnetic field.
Explored by Mariner 10 in 1974 and 1975, along with Venus
Rotation Period = 59 Earth Days
Revolution= 88 Earth days
0 Moons – WHY???
Gravity =.38 that of Earth
Image of frozen south pole taken from the Mariner 10 spacecraft

4. Venus- named after the Goddess of beauty for the way that it shines in the night sky
Also know as Earth’s twin because identical in size and composition.
67.2 mill miles (108.2 km) from sun
Diameter 7,521 miles (12, 401 km)
0 Moons
Rotation= 243 Earth days (Only Planet that its day is longer than its year!) The orbit is almost a perfect circle rather than elliptical like all others
Revolution= Earth days
Gravity= .9 that of Earth
Venus also does not have seasons because its axis only tilts 2.6°
Venus is the brightest planet in the night sky due to its thick atmosphere. Can be seen in early morning or evening in the night sky.

5. Venus’s Atmosphere Atmosphere is extremely dangerous
96.5% Carbon Dioxide
3.5% nitrogen and trace gases
The high amount of carbon dioxide causes extreme global warming from the Greenhouse Effect.
Surface temperatures 867°F
The clouds(3 distinct layers of thick clouds) are a very thick sulfuric acid.
The pressure inside Venus’ atmosphere is equal to being at 3,000 ft deep in one of our oceans!
In 1978, Pioneer-Venus and 1989 Magellan missions of the United States used radar to map 98% if the surface of Venus!
2006 a European Probe was sent to monitor Venus’s atmosphere for 1 and ½ years.

6. Venus’s Surface Maat Mons, the largest volcano on Venus (3 miles high)
The interior of Venus is believed to be very similar to Earth, except for a rocky mantle. It has a molten iron and nickel outer core and solid iron and nickel inner core
Also formed 4.5 billion years ago with the same materials as Earth.
Venus is similar but does NOT have Plate Tectonics.
Although, Venus’s surface is covered in mountains, plains and very active volcanoes.
Over 20 probes have been sent to Venus to explore its atmosphere and surface!
Venus’s surface is covered in old lava flows from about 500mya.

7. Earth 93 million miles (149.6 mill Km) from the Sun Gravity = 1.0
Rotation= hours
Revolution= days (this is why we have Leap Years)
Diameter =7, 926 miles (12, 756 Km)
Have four distinct seasons due to 23.5° tilt
Molten mantle which allows for Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics not only create and change our surface but it volcanic eruptions created water on Earth!
Only planet with H2O Water!
Only planet with specialized atmosphere that protects the surface from impacts and radiation from sun.
Extremely strong Magnetosphere
Atmosphere= 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen
Only Planet with LIFE!

8. Mars- Named after the god of war for its red color
141.6 mill miles (227.9 mill Km) from the Sun
Surface Temperatures -195°F to 77°F
Diameter= 4,213 miles (6,780 Km)- About half the size of Earth.
2 Moons (Deimos and Phobos) Both moons of Mars are captured asteroids.
Gravity= .38 that of Earth
Rotation= hours
Revolution= 687 Earth days
Atmosphere= 95.3% Carbon Dioxide, 2.7% Nitrogen, 1.6% Argon
Atmosphere is extremely thin with a very cold and dry surface.
Mars has very distinct North and South poles which are mainly carbon dioxide ice.
Retrograde Motion- apparent backward motion of a planet
The poles shift during seasons. The season are caused but tilt in axis as well as eccentric orbit!
Mars’s thin atmosphere
retrograde 2
RETROGRADE MOTION

9. Surface of Mars
Iron Oxide in the soil causes the reddish-brown appearance.
Mars’s surface is covered in steep valleys, craters and large volcanoes.
Mars’s contains the solar systems’ largest volcano- Olympus Mons (larger than Colorado!)
Mars does show evidence of ancient water flows in water created valleys. But now the surface is too cold for water in a liquid state.
The surface is covered in rocks and sand dunes.
The poles are full of highlands and mountains as well a carbon dioxide ice.
The planet also experiences dust storms that cover the planet. The dust clouds can be 3000 ft high and last for weeks!
The 2001 Mars Odyssey and Global Surveyors in 2003 explored Mars for our most recent data.

10. Valles Marineris lies on the equator of Mars and is almost 10 times longer and 3 times deeper than the Grand Canyon! This canyon was created over 3bya by shifting of Mars’s crust.

11. Jupiter
Largest planet- 2.5 times the mass of all other 8 planets combined.
Distance from Sun-=483.6 million miles
Diameter= 88,846 miles (10 times the diameter of Earth and 318 times more massive than Earth)
Number of Moons= 63
Rotation= 99.3 hours (Quicker spin on axis than any other planet)
Revolution= Earth years
Gravity= 2.64 times that of Earth
Difference of 47.3 million miles between Aphelion and Perihelion
Atmosphere=89.8% Hydrogen, 10.2% Helium
Temperature= -166°F
Rings= 2 faint rings- observed by the Galileo spacecraft during its five year mission around the planet
Solid core- of rock, metal and hydrogen compounds.
Magnetic Field- larger and stronger than any other planet(20,000 times stronger than Earth’s), and actually causes Aurora on the poles of Jupiter!
The Great Red Spot- is a storm (hurricane) larger than Earth that has been rotating around the planet and as been observed for the past 340 years.

12. Jupiter’s Interior
The composition of Jupiter's interior is mostly the simple molecules hydrogen, in the form of liquid.
Under the cloud layers, when the pressure of the interior becomes high enough, the hydrogen of which Jupiter is made changes to liquid hydrogen, which gradually changes further to liquid metallic hydrogen.
The core of Jupiter is made out of heavier, rocky and metal elements.
Electric currents exist in the metallic layer, these create Jupiter’s magnetic field.

13. Jupiter Jupiter and its most interesting moon, Io.
The strength of Jupiter’s gravity is enormous. In Jupiter ‘s gravity pulled apart the Levy9 comet and the pieces crashed into Jupiter, as seen above.
Jupiter’s Moons (Galilean Satellites -after their discoverer):
Io- most volcanic object in solar system, orbit is only 42.5 hours around Jupiter
Ganymede- largest moon in solar system, made of rock and carbon dioxide ice
Callisto- much brighter than our moon (ice reflects more sunlight) darker regions are rock
Europa- ice-covered ball of rock, average temp around -225°F, may have liquid seas under the ice which could have simplistic life forms!

14. Saturn Distance from Sun= 888 mill miles Temperature= -220 °F
Hubble image of Saturn with an image of shadows created by some of Saturn’s orbiting moons.
Distance from Sun= 888 mill miles
Temperature= -220 °F
Diameter= 74, 898 miles
Number of moons= 62
Rotation= hours
Revolution= Earth years
Gravity= 1.07 that of Earth
Atmosphere= 96.3% Hydrogen, 3.7% Helium and trace gases with ammonia ice near the cloud tops.
Saturn can be observed from Earth with a naked eye 10 months out of the year. It appears pale yellow due to the thick cloud layers (3 distinct layers).
Saturn also experiences Auroras from the Sun’s solar wind that can been seen on its southern pole.
Saturn's’ magnetic field is a 1000 X’s larger than the Earth’s!
Five space probes have been on missions to orbit this planet since 2004

15. Titan- Saturn’s largest moon
Saturn’s Rings
Titan- Saturn’s largest moon (larger than Mercury!)
Discovered in 1655
Only moon with substantial atmosphere, similar to a young Earth
Very nitrogen and methane rich atmosphere
Size of Mercury
Made of rock, ice and water
-292°F
Saturn’s Rings (Image taken by Voyager Probe)
Saturn’s rings are made up of collections of separate pieces of dirty waters and rock particles.
These pieces can range from microscopic pieces to larger than some houses.
There are 7 major rings and each ring is made up of smaller rings called ringlets.
These particles reflect a lot of light presenting a beautiful color display.
These rings change as the moons move through them.
Saturn’s rings are paper thin, in comparison to the size of the planet.
Origin of the rings is most likely an object that was shattered by an asteroid or a moon broken apart by Saturn’s gravity.
In 2005, the orbiter Cassini sent a probe to examine the atmosphere of Triton
Saturn’s rings, taken by the Voyager probe

16. Uranus Distance from the Sun= 1.78 bill miles
Cloud Temperature= -353°F
Diameter= 31,763 miles
Numbers of moons= 27
Rotation=17.24 hours
Revolution=84 Earth years
Gravity= .89 that of Earth (at cloud tops)
Twice as far from the sun than Earth
4 times the size of the Earth
Retrograde revolution= Uranus has retrograde revolution which means that it revolves the opposite direction of the other planets
*Due to a planet-size impact, Uranus’s axis has been know onto its side at a 98° tilt!
*Uranus also has 11 rings

17. Uranus
Atmosphere= 82.5% Hydrogen, 15.2% Helium, and 2.3% Methane (small amount of methane creates the pale blue color)
The surface is made up of methane water and ammonia ice.
Electrical currents in the ice create a magnetic field on Uranus.
The interior is a rocky/icy core.
Seasons last for 21 years, due to extreme tilt.
In 1986, Voyager 2 flew by Uranus and provided detailed information about the planet.
Uranus has many smaller moons with five major moons.
Most of the moons follow the retrograde revolution like Uranus.
Most moons are made up of rock and ice.

18. Neptune-The Blue Planet
Average distance from the sun= 2.8 billion miles
Cloud Temperature= -320°F
Diameter= 30,760 miles (about time s Earth)
Number of Moons= 13
Rotation= hours
Revolution= years
Gravity= 1.13 that of Earth
Atmosphere= 79% Hydrogen, 18% Helium 3% Methane
Does have seasons due to 28.3% tilt
Similar to Uranus, Neptune has a surface of water and methane ice with a similar icy or rocky core.
Neptune has six thin rings, microscopic material and difficult to see.
Neptune was first discovered mathematically using the Universal law of Gravitation in 1846.
Voyager 2 flew by Neptune in 1989 to provide the first detailed images of the blue planet.
The Great Dark Spot- is a hurricane like storm almost as big as Earth BUT the storm disappeared in 1994.

19. Neptune and its moons Triton- Neptune’s only major moon
Triton was discovered 17 days after the planet’s own discovery
Similar to our moon, Triton’s synchronous, only one side of Triton always faces Neptune.
Triton also has a backward orbit
The surface of Triton is most likely ice and rock with possibly a liquid core.
Triton also has nitrogen geysers, caused by gas below the poles, which expand and erupt when heated by the sun.

20. Pluto- A Dwarf Planet Why Dwarf Planets?
Pluto with its moon Charon, which is almost a big a Pluto.
Why Dwarf Planets?
There are 3 Dwarf Planets in our Solar System; Pluto, Eris (found in the Kupier Belt) and a very large asteroid called Ceres.
What is a Planet?
In 2006 the International Astronomical Union define a planet as an object that orbits the sun with sufficient mass and gravity.
Dwarf Planets orbit the sun but do not clear their “neighborhood” and they are not a moon(satellite)

21. Pluto (The Dwarf Planet)
Average distance from Sun- 3.8 billion miles
Temperature- -382°F
Diameter- 1,432 miles
1 Moon- Charon (Diameter of 730 miles)
Atmosphere % Nitrogen
Rotation= days
Revolution= years
Gravity- 1/8 that of Earth
Orbit- Pluto has a more elliptical and titled orbit, one of the reasons its lost identification as a planet. This tilted orbit sometimes allows it to be closer to the sun than Neptune, making Neptune the further most planet.
Eccentricity: .25

22. Other Large Objects in Kupier Belt
Other Dwarf Planets:
Other Large Objects in Kupier Belt
Ceres
Ceres-located in the Asteroid Belt. It was discovered in 1801.
Some still consider Ceres just a very large asteroid rather than a dwarf planet
2005 FY9- red
Xena-bluish color, 52 AU’s away
Sedna- Red, 67 AU’s, .85 eccentricity and 10,000 to orbit the Sun!
Quaoar- Blue-gray
Eris
Eris was discovered in 2003, this caused the controversy of Pluto because these two objects were the same size
White in color and 97 AU’s away
Has 1 moon
Eccentricity is .43