TheThe Nine Planets The Learning about our Solar System

Mercury Mercury is the closet planet to the sun. It is the 8 th largest planet. Mercury is a rocky planet. Mercury has no moons. The temperature ranges from 90k to 700 k. Mercury is very old. It has many craters.

Venus Venus is the 2 nd planet from the sun. Venus is the 6 th largest planet. Venus is a small, rocky planet. It is covered with clouds made of sulfuric acid. Venus has no moons. Venus is very hot, about 400 degrees Celsius.

Earth Earth is the 3 rd planet from the sun. It is the 5 th largest planet. The earth has one moon. Earth is a small, rocky planet. Earth is the only planet known to support life. 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water.

Mars Mars is the 4 th planet from the sun. Mars is the 7 th largest planet. Mars is a small, rocky planet. Mars is very cold. Mars has 2 moons.

Jupiter Jupiter is the 5 th planet from the sun. It is the largest planet in our Solar System. Jupiter is a giant gas planet. It gives off 2 times more heat than it gets from the sun. Jupiter has at least 39 moons. Jupiter has wind storms. Jupiter has a large red spot, which scientists think is a storm which has raged for hundreds of years! Jupiter has faint rings around it.

Saturn Saturn is the 6 th planet from the sun. Saturn is the 2 nd largest planet. Saturn is a giant gas planet. It emits twice as much heat as it receives from the sun. Saturn has rings around it. Saturn has at least 18 moons. Saturn is made up of materials that are lighter than water. If it was placed in a huge pond, it would float!

Uranus Uranus is the 7 th planet from the sun. Uranus is the 3 rd largest planet. Uranus is a giant gas planet. Uranus is tilted sideways. Uranus has at least 15 moons. Methane makes Uranus appear blue. It also makes the upper atmosphere very cold. Uranus has very faint rings around it.

Neptune Neptune is the 8 th (usually) planet from the sun. (Sometimes it passes in back of Pluto, making it the 9 th planet.) Neptune is the 4 th largest planet. Neptune is a giant gas planet. Methane makes Neptune appear blue. This makes it very cold on Neptune. Neptune has 8 moons. Neptune has very faint rings.

Pluto Pluto in the 9 th (usually) and farthest planet from the sun. (Sometimes it passes in front of Neptune, then it is the 8 th planet.) Pluto is the smallest planet. Pluto is a small, cold, rocky planet. Pluto has one moon. Pluto seems to be lying on its side. Pluto is so far away, that we do not know much about it.

The Sun The sun is a star. It is at the center of our Solar System. The nine planets orbit around the sun. It is made up of swirling gases and nuclear reactions. The sun provides the Earth with heat and light. The sun is very, very hot.